Ah, Quidditch
by bitchinblackframedglasses
Summary: Arlene, an average witch, works at a Quidditch center for rich children. Harry Potter's son attends the camps. When Harry has a particularly bad day and yells at Arlene, sparks fly and starts something between them that can't be stopped. HP/OC
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I am not J.K. Rowling. The only characters I can claim in this story are Arlene, Christine, Marty, Taylor, Alfonso and Vincent, who you'll meet later. All other characters belong to the fabulous J.K. Rowling. Enjoy!**

Arlene POV

My name is Arlene. Arlene Sommers. I work at Quidditch for Kids—a high end program that takes rich and famous wizard's children and puts them onto Quidditch teams. I honestly hated working there. My boss, Taylor Gringhorn, made my life a living hell. He was all about the money-it's like he needed it to survive. He expected me to take no bullshit from the richy-rich parents who felt the need to object to every foul I called in the game. That really wasn't the problem, though. I never took any crap; those famous assholes never flustered me with their high and mighty crap. It was the fact that I was a referee on a stupid kiddie game. I had wanted to play pro-Quidditch. I had trained all through Hogwarts as a Chaser for Ravenclaw. But my parents had died- and suddenly. My poor brother, Vincent, he had just gotten out of college for marine biology, and he had no idea how to handle it. So I gave up the dream to handle the funeral. It was hard. Both he and I had really, _really _loved our parents. We all contacted each other at least everyday. And I missed them everyday too. Yes, Vincent and Mum and Dad were Muggles, but they meant the world to me. I guess I was lucky that I had been able to keep them out of harm during the war. So once the war was over and then my parents died, I felt betrayed. I had worked so hard to keep them alive and safe, and then they had been killed in a car crash. So easy. So non-magical that I had never thought of it. I paid for the funeral, and it drained most of my money. When I needed a job, I took the only Quidditch-related one I could find.

When I wasn't teaching little brats how to fly on a broom, I lived on my tiny little farm flat in the country with Samuel- my pet piggy. He was so cute, and he ate all my table scraps that I didn't compost, so we had a great system. Plus, if I was gone for awhile at work, I could just let him outside and let him roam. Samuel and I kept a large garden on a tiny plot of land in the middle of nowhere, but that was just the way we liked it. During the war I had to leave the house because of Death Eaters. Sixteen years had passed since then, and everyone had gladly moved on.

So my existence was fairly simple. I got up, got ready for work, fed Samuel and went to work. I'd work all day, train kids and referee games. Then I'd come home, cursing my boss and go to bed. Pretty boring, right? Well, one stupid, famous, richy bastard changed my life around, surprisingly for the better.

It stared on a boring-ass Tuesday. I had to get up early, I had a pee-wee game today. It was foggy in the morning, and I burned my hand making eggs. Samuel ate my leftovers and then I went to get ready. I showered, and washed my reddish-brown slightly curly hair. I wasn't super skinny- not by a long shot, but I definitely wasn't chubby either. I was small and muscular from all of my Chaser training that I took every Friday. My mother always said that the best feature about me was my eyes, but I wasn't so fond of them. They were a strange grayish blue that really wasn't a definitive blue or grey. After my shower I got into my lightweights, the clothes that went under the uniform pads, then got those on too. I Apparated straight to work and was immediately greeted by my boss as I checked in. "It's a high client game today," He said at the desk. I finished writing out my slip and put it in the basket.

"My specialty." I said with just a hint of sarcasm, and went out to the field. It was about half the size of a real stadium so I could keep an eye on those little shits, but I still loved it. Parents were already there, getting their kids ready in the plush stadium seats as I strode out onto the field, drawing my wand and flicking it at the locker room. My broom flew out and rested on the field next to me, and then the box with the Quidditch balls came floating over.

"Dad, stop fussing," A kid whined, and I took a deep breath and let it out. Let the games begin. Literally. I blew my whistle three times, and the two teams slowly disengaged from their rich parents and came down to the field, brooms over their shoulders.

"You know the rules, guys. A clean game. Got it?" I said, and the nicer of the brats nodded, while the _really_ stuck up ones rolled their eyes, sticking their pretty little noses in the air. "Captains," I said, and a kid that could only be a Potter stepped up from red team. He was the spitting image of his father, the Boy Who Lived. The boy from the blue team stepped forward, a smirk across his pointed little face. "Positions," I said, trying to fight the boredom from my voice. "Shake hands," I said, as the other members of the team lined up, and the Captains shook hands, glaring at each other. The kids mounted their brooms as I walked over to the box and got the Quaffle. "Ready, set, go." I said coolly, throwing the Quaffle high, then mounting my broom and sending some sparks at the box. The balls burst free as I rose into the air. The kids were already racing through the field, and I focused on keeping up with them. Marty, my good friend from Hogwarts was the narrator and score-keeper, and he was already hard at work.

"Red Team in possession, passed to Merwin, then Potter, ducking to avoid a Bludger from Malfoy, Nott takes the Quaffle…" I tuned him out and focused on the game. The Bludgers would never come for me, perks of being the ref, but the Snitch and Quaffle often found their way over to me. While watching the game, a kid on the red team knocked into a kid from the blue team and nearly knocked him off the broom. With a sigh, I blew my whistle, flying over. The first foul of the game, which was bound to get some parental comments. The two kids turned out to be Potter and Malfoy, the second generation of a long feud I had even heard of at Hogwarts.

"James," I sighed. I knew all of the kids by name, it was that exclusive of a Quidditch center. "You can't purposely try to knock players off their brooms, remember?" I said kindly, and the Potter frowned.

"I didn't mean to. Honest." He said, trying to lie and failing, a hot flush spreading over his face.

"Just remember not to next time, alright? Foul," I said, raising my voice for the adults and pointing to James Potter.

"HEY!" The kids' father yelled, standing up in the stands. I was surprised, usually the Savior of the wizarding world was quiet at games, only cheering for his son when called for. He had never questioned me before. "That isn't a foul!"

"Hold on a sec, guys." I told the kids, then flew over to him in the stands. "Is there a problem, Mr. Potter?" I asked calmly. The rules to being a ref were simple. You had to treat parents with respect, but you had to get them to sit down so that the game could continue. The careful balance between ordering around the most prestigious wizards and witches in history and being respectful was a hard place to be.

"Yes, there is a problem." He snapped. He looked tired and a little beaten down. I could only hope that he wasn't drunk, for his kids' sake. "That wasn't a foul."

"Sir, you child tried to knock another player off their broom. That's a foul." I said calmly.

"Quidditch is a rough game," he insisted.

"Maybe for older kids and professionals, but at Quidditch for Kids that's a foul. I'm sorry sir." I said with a bit more firmness.

"What's your name?" He demanded, his green eyes flashing angrily.

"I'm Arlene Sommers, Mr. Potter."

"Well, Miss _Sommers,_ my kid would never do that on purpose."

"I'm sure he wouldn't," I agreed half-heartedly in a bored sounding tone. "But he made a mistake and broke a rule, that is a foul. Now please sit down, sir."

"Are you trying to tell me what to do?" He yelled furiously, his hand drifting down to his pocket, where his wand probably was.

"No, I'm trying to referee this game so that your child can have happy memories of playing fair games of Quidditch with other children. Now please, _sit down."_ I snapped. He gaped at me for a moment, his eyes still burning with anger, and then he sat down. "Resume play," I almost drawled, flying back to the kids.

At the end of the game, the Potter's left in a rush, the most famous man probably of all time glaring at me as they left the stadium. What an asshole. I thought that for a moment, when he was glaring at me, I thought that _possibly_ I saw grief in his eyes. I knew that his wife, Ginny, had passed away, but that wasn't my problem. I had stuck up parents like him to deal with. But, hey, it was just another fabulous day at Quidditch for Kids.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry POV

So I was having a really bad day. I didn't get any sleep, but then again, it was more sleep than I had gotten in awhile. All I could think about was Ginny, my beautiful, wonderful wife. After the war, we were living the high life. We had our children, some fame, plenty of money…it was perfect. I couldn't ask for more. We were finally free to live peacefully, free from Voldemort, the man who had killed my parents and made my first seventeen years of life full of unnecessary death and pain. But Ginny helped me forget all of that. She was the light of my life.

And then she got sick. At first I didn't think it was going to be that big of a deal. I would take her to St. Mungo's, they would work their magic, and she would be fine. She had been a lot worse off. I was worried, but knew that Ginny was tough. But when we got there, the Healers seemed baffled. They didn't know what to do. Healers ran every test they could think of for all sorts of magical diseases, but nothing was coming back positive. Then a very tired looking Healer had pulled me aside. I had Lily asleep in my arms, and the other kids were sleeping in Ginny's room. "We think your wife has a Muggle disease, Mr. Potter." The grim faced Healer had told me.

That 'Muggle disease' was breast cancer. Ginny fought it long and hard, and I was there with the kids almost everyday, working to keep her alive. The Healers did their best, but Ginny just couldn't fight it. Ginny died. It's been almost three years, but I still miss her. We were both so young, so hopeful- ready to spend the rest of our lives growing old together. But now she was gone. The only bit of her I had left remained with the Weasley's and in my kids. Lily had her spunk. James inherited her limited patience and Albus had her sweet, sweet smile. Speaking of Albus, I had gone into his room this morning to find him crying.

"What's wrong?" I had asked him, wiping away his tears. Normally Albus was no softie, and to find him crying like this made me anxious.

"I miss mommy," he had croaked, and it was a thousand times worse than all the pain I had ever felt. His innocent little face, stained with tears, and the ache in his voice made me want to break down and cry with him. It was almost as if he had stabbed me in the heart with a knife.

"I know, Al. I miss her too." I said softly, trying very hard not to cry. "But she isn't really gone, she's still here. She loves and misses you too. But we got to get you to Aunt Hermione's. James has a Quidditch game today." And I had forced myself to get up, get the kids ready, and move on with my life, even though the most important piece of me was missing. Hermione had gotten fantastic with the kids, and knew better than to mention Ginny to me anymore. At first she had tried to get me to talk to someone, but what shrink would take the Boy Who Lived seriously? So we exchanged our usual greeting, her smile real, mine slightly forced, and then I took James to his Quidditch game. I was so proud of him; he wasn't a Seeker like I was, but I didn't care. The boy really loved Quidditch. He and Scorpius, Malfoy's son, already hated each other, but I really wasn't surprised. Like father like son. He was playing fantastically, even roughing up Scorpius a little bit, when the referee called a foul.

I couldn't help it, I snapped. "HEY!" I bellowed, standing up. I knew that I was just acting like every other rich jerk who took their kids here, but my kids had it bad enough, they didn't need a referee making them feel worse. Malfoy shot me a look, somewhere between a smug smirk and an annoyed frown. The referee flew over and hovered at my level in the stands, her face carefully arranged to something that could be called polite interest.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Potter?" She asked in such an infuriatingly calm manner that it made me even angrier.

"Yes, there is a problem." I snapped, feeling a headache coming on. I knew I should just let it go, but for some reason I couldn't. "That wasn't a foul." I argued.

"Sir, you child tried to knock another player off their broom. That's a foul." She said in with that _calm _'I can deal with your bullshit' way that Ginny used to use with me when we were having a petty argument and she knew that she was going to win. It made my heart ache and pushed my anger up to a new height.

"Quidditch is a rough game," I blustered, and she raised an eyebrow. So like Ginny.

"Maybe for older kids and professionals, but at Quidditch for _Kids_ that's a foul. I'm sorry sir." She said, still being polite, but with a bit more firmness that made me need to deny that this was Ginny. Maybe all women debated arguments in the same way, but it was still too much to bear.

"What's your name?" I demanded, feeling my fists clench. The woman's eyes flashed for just a second before they resumed their slightly bored look.

"I'm Arlene Sommers, Mr. Potter." She said, a bit more bite into her voice. I must be making her mad. Good, let her be mad. I was more angry and grief-stricken than she could possibly imagine.

"Well, Miss _Sommers,_ my kid would never do that on purpose." I almost threatened, hoping that my popularity would make her back off. Not many people disagreed with me these days if they weren't family.

"I'm sure he wouldn't," She agreed, sounding like she was talking patiently to a stupid little kid. "But he made a mistake and broke a rule, which is a foul. Now please sit down, sir."

"Are you trying to tell me what to do?" I almost growled, feeling my hand start to move for my wand. Somewhere, my brain cautioned myself not to hex the referee, and I was tempted to listen. But only for a second.

"No, I'm trying to referee this game so that your child can have happy memories of playing fair games of Quidditch with other children. Now please, _sit down."_ The woman ordered, and I glared at her for a moment more, knowing that she was right but refusing to accept it. I just missed Ginny. All I wanted was for my kids to be happy and to have her back. Slowly, I sat back down. _That woman is a bitch._ I decided. Nobody had the right to remind me of Ginny, not when I was still grieving over her. Yeah, I was being stupid, but I didn't care anymore. I barely watched the rest of the game, trying to pull myself out of misery. Somehow, I managed to congratulate James at the end, his team won. I plastered the 'Invincible Dad' façade back on and got out of there as fast as I could.


	3. Chapter 3

Arlene POV

I went home, the dullness of my job making me feel even more tired than I actually was. I had just 'broken a record' as Marty would call it. We liked to keep track of how many celebrities I basically ordered around. This would be a new one to add to the list. "Hey, Sammy," I greeted Samuel by his nickname as I Apparated to my doorstep. He was waiting there, and snorted at me in greeting. There was a 'cat door' as the Muggles called it in the door for him to go through, but he always like to wait outside for me. For a pig, he was actually very well mannered, and despite the stereotype, was a very clean animal. "Guess what, Samuel? I told Harry Potter what to do today," I said, faking an excited tone. Samuel snorted again, making me chuckle under my breath. "Yeah, he was being a jerk. What else is new?" I said to him conversationally, unlocking the door and stepping inside.

Bored and slightly lonely, I called Vincent out of habit. I was a witch, but I still had Muggle appliances. It just made life easier. "What up? It's Vince." He answered his phone in such a 'gangster' way that I nearly laughed myself to tears. "Shut up, Arlene. I'm trying something new." Vincent said half heartedly, then started to laugh too. He had Dad's sense of humor.

"Is it working?" I asked, and he sighed.

"Not really. It's hard to get that swagger when you spend your days teaching dolphins." He said, and we both laughed.

"At least you like your job." I reminded him.

"Oh boo hoo. Enough already." He teased. "What happened today, was Taylor giving you a hard time again? I've offered it once, and I'll offer it again, I'll talk to him."

"Thanks, but no thanks." I said, fighting down the urge to laugh. Vincent wouldn't last two minutes against Taylor. "It wasn't Taylor, it was another parent. You know the usual routine."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, a dolphin threw up on me today." Vince said cheerfully.

"It always helps, Vincent. Hey, you ok?" I asked, and he snorted.

"I'm fine, like always. How about you and that monstrosity of a pet?" He asked, and I gasped, looking at Samuel.

"Don't call him that. He's adorable." I said defensively, and Samuel lifted his snout for a moment before climbing into his little indoor house. "And I'm same old same old."

"Well, thanks for calling. Talk to you later?"

"Yeah. Bye Vince." I hung up the phone and stood in my kitchen a moment before finally starting dinner.

Harry POV

"Sorry about losing my cool, kiddo," I said to James as we walked up to Hermione and Ron's place.

"That's ok, Dad. I really did try to hit him." James said honestly, and I chuckled wearily, knocking on the door.

"Good for you," I said with the same honesty, and James grinned. He knew that Draco and I hated each other just as much as Scorpius and him did. I didn't want him to use it to justify his hatred, but there really wasn't much I could do to convince him otherwise.

"Hey, James! How are you, mate?" It was Ron who answered the door.

"Great, actually," I said as James darted past Ron's leg and into the house. "How were the kids?"

"They were alright. But Hermione is worried about you." Ron said, offering me a butterbeer as we went inside, which I refused.

"Well, that's Hermione for you," I said nonchalantly, then scooped up Lily as she tried to race by and started to tickle her on my lap, making her scream with laughter, drowning out anything Ron was going to say.

"Hi, Dadee." Lily chirped when I stopped tickling her, bouncing on my knee. "I colored pictures for Aunt Hermioneee!" She loved stretching out Hermione's name. She giggled.

"What did you draw?" I asked her.

"Ponies and flowers and candy!" She crowed, wriggling to be put down, so I did.

"Sounds lovely. Can you go find your brothers for me?" I asked her, and she ran away with a giggle and a smile. "Merlin, what a day," I said tiredly as she left, rubbing my face.

"Are you ok? You look tired." Ron said, and I knew that he was genuinely worried. Usually when Hermione put him up to questioning me, he tended to be a little too concerned.

"I'm same old same old." I told him with a tired smile as Albus, James and Lily came around the corner. "Thanks again," I said as I hustled my kids out the door. I still had to pick up Teddy. He spent a lot of time with Tonks' mom, but she was getting old, and I took Teddy ever other week to give her a rest.

"No problem." Ron said, and Hermione joined him with Rose in her arm to wave us out the door.

I got Teddy and then got all of the kids home, fed them, and got them all ready for bed, minus Teddy of course. He helped out a lot, and without him I didn't know what I'd do sometimes. When I finally got into bed, I knew that I wouldn't sleep much, if at all. This whole emotional day, with that woman reminding me of Ginny would only make it harder for me to forget, just for a little while, so that I could sleep.

Arlene POV

"Well," I said to Samuel, who was snoring slightly, already asleep. "I guess I should hit the hay too." Getting ready for bed, I couldn't help but feel a pang of loss. I got the habit of saying 'hit the hay' from my Mum, who had gotten it from her Mum. I knew that I probably wasn't going to find someone crazy enough to have kids with me, so if Vincent didn't get with it, I wouldn't have anyone to teach the phrase to. That made me sad all over again.

I flopped into bed and stared at the ceiling for awhile, listening to the deep silence of my house. It seemed to reflect my sudden sadness back at me until I almost started to cry. _That's enough._ I told myself sternly. _You are a strong, responsible and capable woman. You don't take bullshit, not from anybody. _

Slightly comforted, I managed to roll over and get some sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Arlene POV

The days passed by as usual. The kids went back to training for their next game, Vincent and I kept in touch, and Taylor was more unbearable than ever. One day he even yelled at Marty and I for talking to each other after we had both checked out. He said that we were 'loitering'. To tell you the truth, I wanted to smack his brains out.

I went to my Chaser training on Friday, and had a good long weekend with Samuel.

Out of boredom, I had also gone to visit my good friend Christine. We had met in a bar when she had drunkenly started hitting on me. So, of course, we were now best friends. Christine had meant it, she was lesbian, but she hadn't seriously hit on me again. She was a Healer at St. Mungo's. We had talked about her last girlfriend, her love for Celestina Warbeck (the girl loved the singer, but I honestly couldn't stand her) and then I had a good laugh over her telling me about her adventure in a Muggle Laundromat. When her work called her away, I reluctantly went to work myself. It was a game day, but later in the afternoon, which was nice. It gave a chance for the caffeine in the parent's systems to wear itself out. They were a lot more subdued for afternoon games.

To my surprise, this game started off really well, and the first few fouls that I called weren't challenged. And then those two damn kids, Malfoy and Potter, renewed their rivalry. Malfoy purposely flew into him from below, making James drop the Quaffle on another kids head and nearly do a flip to stay in the air. "What is the matter with you two?" I asked with a frown, stopping the game. The two kids glared at each other. "Scorpius, did you do that on purpose?" I turned on him and he glared at me with new intensity.

"Go to hell, Mudblood," he spat, and I knew that for a second my face registered total shock. I was used to kids arguing with me, pretending they were better than me and being rude, but they had never insulted me, not like this. When the shock faded, I had to take a deep breath and count to ten, resisting the urge to take him out of the game. It wasn't a rule that the kids couldn't insult me, and my temper was just getting the better of me. Scorpius looked at me with cold satisfaction in his eyes, while James glared at him. I could only hope that he didn't know what Mudblood meant.

"Penalty shot for the red team." I barely heard myself say, snapping out of it.

"Excuse me," the cold voice of Draco Malfoy called out across the field. I flew over to him. Most of the parents in the audience were looking at him and his kid with surprise and a bit of anger. Nobody used the slur Mudblood anymore. Those who did were racist, and those that had were in Azkaban yet. I honestly couldn't say that I was surprised that Draco Malfoy would teach that to his son- he had helped in the murder of Albus Dumbledore after all. "I don't see the point of your penalty." He said before I could even address him, folding his arms, trying to look impressive.

"Your son purposely tried to knock James off of his broom. That's a foul, which in turn, awards a penalty to the team fouled." I said flatly, not willing to deal with any arrogance. My patience had gone out the window already with his son's comment. He smirked.

"Then why wasn't my son awarded a penalty at the last game?" He challenged, standing up.

"Because James didn't come from below, he came from the side. He used less force. Now, Mr. Malfoy, please sit down so we can enjoy the game." I said firmly. He eyed me for a minute more before sitting down. I flew back over to the kids, still trying to get a hold of myself, especially when Scorpius glared at me intensely, as if it was my fault.

"Don't talk to my father like that ever again." Scorpius hissed from his broom. I ignored him. The little shit was a spoiled brat- and my best tactic with those kinds of kids was to just ignore them.

"James, take your penalty." I ordered. The kid took the shot, and made it, whizzing back around to rest above me, waiting for the Quaffle to be re-entered into play. Almost at the same time, I looked over my shoulder and saw Scorpius snatch a Beaters bat from a kid on his team, raise it, and hit a Bludger with all of his strength at James, who clearly had his back turned. Taking a hit like that would seriously hurt him, there was no doubt about it. As if my broom was listening to my thoughts, it shot upward as I started to turn, getting out my wand, determined to deflect it.

My broom wasn't fast enough. With a crack that made me choke, it hit the back of my head. The force of it catapulted me off the broom and over James. A moment of free fall later, I hit the ground _hard_ on my side. Seconds later, my wand clattered down a few feet away. "Holy _shit_! Arlene!" Marty shouted, forgetting he was speaking into a microphone around children. There were footsteps, shouts. Then footsteps hurried over to me. "Aww, man, Arlene, can you hear me?" It was Marty's voice. I cracked an eye open and nearly swore out loud from the pain. The world seemed much to bright, and Marty's face was hazy.

"Marty," I croaked, and closed my eye again. The darkness was much better than the bright sunlight.

"Oh, thank Merlin. Anything broken?" Marty asked frantically.

"Besides my head? I don't know." I said through gritted teeth.

"Aw, man, the parents are yelling at each other, I think Taylor's gonna have a heart attack he's so mad, your head is bleeding everywhere…_where is the Mediwizard?" _Marty shouted.

"Jesus, don't tell me that my head is bleeding everywhere," I mumbled, feeling sleepy. I might have blacked out for a second before I could hear Alfonso, the Mediwizard, talking close by. Then something touched the back of my head in an explosion of pain. "_BUGGER!" _I croaked, but it came out half strangled.

"Oh, you are still conscious. Good. Arlene, is anything else broken? If not, I'll get you to St. Mungo's right away." Alfonso said calmly, his lovely accent almost making me scream. How he could possibly be that calm right now?

"No," I hissed, barely resisting the urge to curse. My head felt like it was still being beaten with a bat.

"Then I'm just going to get you on a stretcher and you'll be fine. Here we go-" He started, but I cried out when the stretcher slid under my head. "Good, you're doing fine. But, Arlene? Don't fall asleep, _comprende?_ Stay awake." Alfonso said firmly.

"Is she dead, or what?" I heard Taylor snap, and almost instantly, some kids started crying.

"Ms. Sommers is _dead?" _A kid wailed. I recognized the voice from somewhere. It was a little kid named Sam or something like that.

"I'm fine," I murmured dreamily, the back of my head feeling more and more wet by the minute.

"We're Apparating, Arlene." Alfonso said, and a moment, later, I could smell the hospital. It sounded incredibly busy. Footsteps were running everywhere, and the noise pressed down on my ears, making me wince.

"Arlene? What happened?" I heard Christine demanding.

"She took a Bludger to the head." I heard Alfonso say from somewhere far away.

"Right, this way. I'm sorry sir, but we are too busy right now. We are doing most life threatening injuries first. I'll be with you in a moment," Christine told off someone, and we raced along for a minute. "Arlene, I'm gonna roll you on your side, ok?" Christine narrated what she was doing the whole time, keeping me awake. "Now, Arlene, you have a head injury, and since there is a risk of you falling into a coma, we can't give you any sedatives or pain-killers. I'm gonna heal the back of your head, but it's gonna hurt, ok?"

"_What?"_ I gasped through the layers of pain. I wasn't going to get _any_ medication?

"Christine, we need you." Another voice called hurriedly.

"I'm busy right now, she's bleeding everywhere!" Christine called back, sounding frantic.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry POV

The week passed uneventfully. A skinned knee here, a tabloid there. I was a bit late as I got James to another one of his Quidditch games. The game started out slower than usual, and I almost let my mind wander. I was about to zone out completely when that little shit Scorpius Malfoy shot straight upwards into James, who had to do a flip on his broom to stay up. The ref called a foul, and then I heard what Scorpius said to her clearly, everyone in the stands did. "Go to hell, Mudblood," he spat angrily, and she blinked, her face paling in surprise. I glanced at Malfoy and felt a spike of anger. He looked almost proud of his son. The ref didn't let it affect her too much though. She called for a penalty shot, and that's when Malfoy had to open his mouth. With a sigh, she swooped over to argue with him for a minute or two, then resumed the game. I was burning with hate now at Malfoy. Of course he would try to drag James into it.

Not three seconds into the game, James turned for the Quaffle, and simultaneously, across the field, Scorpius pelted a Bludger at him with all his strength. I felt myself standing up, my voice not working to call out to him. Sommers saw it and shot straight up, turning to her right and pulling out her wand to deflect the Bludger. But he broom was slow, and with a sharp crack that made me wince and the crowd of parents gasp, it connected hard with the back of her head, shooting her over James and falling to the ground. James shook his head, confused, and I saw a nasty cut on his forehead, and I realized it was from the ref's cleats as she had toppled over him. Her wand flew high, then to the ground as the score keeper shouted, "Holy _shit!_ Arlene!"

James flew to the ground and got off his broom, mopping at the cut on his forehead with his sleeve. Abandoning all the rules, I vaulted out of the stadium and rushed over to him. "James, you ok?" I asked worriedly, and he grinned up at me.

"I'm awesome!" He said excitedly, then saw Arlene behind me, and his face fell. "Dad, is Ms. Sommers ok?"

"She's fine," I assured him quickly, bending down to get a better look at the cut on his head. "You are gonna have to go to St. Mungo's, buddy." I lightly took his arm and we Apparated. I got him inside, and it was a nuthouse. Healers were running everywhere; they must have been severely understaffed. There was a pop, and we were suddenly next to a Mediwizard. On the stretcher floating next to him was the ref. Her hair was turning more and more red from blood, and her eyes were closed. I shifted to stand in front of it so James wouldn't see. A Healer and the Mediwizard talked frantically for a second, then started to rush away.

Upon seeing me there with James, the Healer shouted over her shoulder, "I'm sorry sir, but we are too busy right now. We are doing most life threatening injuries first. I'll be with you in a moment!" She scurried away with Ashley or whatever her first name was, leaving me and James to wait. Since (sadly) we're both famous, a Healer came over fairly quickly and led James to a curtained off room, talking easily to him, but he still sounded rushed. Across the hall, a woman screamed in awful pain. I got eye contact with James, nodded to him, then slipped around the curtain and into the hallway. The section next door had the referee there and she was the one screaming in pain.

"You, sir!" the Healer called, her hands coated with blood. "Come here!" she called, and I came over cautiously. There was blood on the floor, and this Healer looked crazy.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, slightly shaken by the fact that this woman was bleeding everywhere, and I was worried about James.

"Hold her hands," the Healer ordered, and when I went to object, she snarled, "_Do it."_ To frightened by her to disobey, I sat down on the stool by her bed and untangled Ms. Sommers' hands from fists and held them. "Signum caput capitis," The Healer said, and Ms. Sommers' hands were suddenly clenching hard around mind, her eyes squeezed shut from the pain. Her teeth were gritted, she was obviously trying not to scream. I was suddenly lost in a memory.

"_I know it hurts, Ginny, I know. But you're almost there!" I tried to sound encouraging to Ginny as she huffed and puffed and screamed. She was giving birth to Albus, and I was holding her hands, stroking the backs of them with my thumb, occasionally wiping her forehead free of sweat._

"Almost there, Arlene," The Healer shouted, as if she was oblivious to her cries of agony. Without warning, I started stroking the backs of Arlene's hands, holding them tight.

"Oh—God—_Merlin!_" She shrieked, her hands trembling.

"Fantastic job, Arlene. You are all done. Don't fight the sleepiness, just go with it." The Healer instructed, and Arlene's body relaxed, her hands loosening around mine. It reminded me all too well of what Ginny had done, in her hospital bed in this very hospital, as she had passed away.

"She's going to be alright?" I heard myself croak, pulling my hands free. The Healer saw me and gasped.

"Oh, _Merlin,_ I'm sorry, Mr. Potter." She stammered, flushing pink. "I didn't recognize you, please forgive me."

"It was no problem. She blocked the Bludger from my child." I said it as it dawned on me, and was suddenly filled with a feeling I could only describe as grateful. If it had hit James…

"Don't worry about Arlene, she'll be fine. She's one of my good friends from Hogwarts. I'm Christine." She shook my hand. "Sir, are you alright?" She asked, looking worried. I dimly realized that I had paled. Memories of Ginny's death were coming back to me with twice the pain, one of Arlene's shrieks ringing in my ears.

"I've got to get out of here," I managed to mumble, willing the tears not to spring into my eyes just yet.

"We'll take care of James. Go home and collect yourself." Christine said with surprising authority. I must have nodded, because she let go of me and left. A second later, I Apparated back home. The rush of memories burst then, like a bullet from a gun.

"_Hold on, Ginny, stay with me," I plead, holding onto Ginny's hands as if I could keep her here. Ginny laughed shakily, opening her fluttering eyelids to look at me. Her beautiful red hair was all tucked up behind her, and bits and pieces of it were coming loose, sticking to her clammy forehead. _

"_I love you, Harry Potter," Her eyes burned into mine suddenly, and I couldn't look away. "But you need to move on when I'm gone, understand?"_

"_You aren't going anywhere, Ginny. You're going to be ok," I insisted, panicked, as she sighed and closed her eyes, starting to relax._

"_I'll see you sometime, Harry. I love you." She breathed, and then she didn't breathe again-_

"Harry?" Teddy's concerned voice broke me from my terrible memory. I hastily swiped at my face, standing up straight. "What's wrong? Where is James, did he win the game?" He asked worriedly. I thought quickly. The game…Arlene's boss's anger…

"Everything is fine," I said it firmly enough to almost believe it myself. "I need you to call Aunt Hermione and ask her if she could keep the kids a bit longer. James cut his head open in the game. He's fine, but I have to go back." I said hurriedly, nodded to Teddy, then Apparated before he could get a word out.

I was back at Quidditch for Kids. I felt guilty not going to James, but I felt an undeniable need to protect Arlene. Hurrying, I went into the main office. He was there, his feet propped up on the desk, drinking Pumpkin Juice. "Can I help you, sir?" He asked, with an air of sleazy authority.

"Yes, I'd like to inquire about your referee, Arlene Sommers. She won't be fired, will she?" I pretended I was a Malfoy, above everyone else. The manager frowned.

"She saved your son, did she not?" He asked, and I nodded. "I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, that she injured your child. Ms. Sommers has already been fired."

"Why?" I asked, raising my voice slightly. "She kept my child out of harm's way at her own expense." The manager took his feet off of the desk and stood up.

"Here at Quidditch for Kids, we value children's safety above all else. Ms. Sommers injured your child, which is unacceptable. To tell you the truth, she isn't that great of an employee anyway."

"I'm asking you not to fire her, Taylor. Do you think you could do that for me?" I asked rhetorically, a slight threat under my words. We locked eyes a moment.

"Of course, Mr. Potter. I'd be happy to do that for you." He simpered.

"Excellent. Thank you for your cooperation." I said in a haughty manner, then Apparated back to St. Mungo's.


	6. Chapter 6

Arlene POV

I woke up very slowly. Fuzzy memories were pushing at my brain: the pain, Christine shouting at someone, and then warm and strong hands holding mine comfortingly…none of it made much sense. "Good, you're awake." It was Christine herself, coming in and closing a curtain behind her.

"Christine…am I in the hospital?" I asked, and she nodded, dragging up the stool to sit next to me. "Why?" I asked in surprise. I felt perfectly fine now.

"You were hurt at work. Apparently a Bludger was involved. It hit you in the head. Do you remember any of this?" She asked as I frowned. All of a sudden I did remember, especially the sharp _crack_ sound it had made hitting me.

"Oh, I remember now," I frowned, lightly running my fingers over my head. "Can I sit up?"

"It may hurt a little." She said, and propped up the bed. Dark spots swarmed at my eyes for a moment, and my head started to ache. "But the good news is that you aren't as stupid as I thought- I got to see your brain."

"_What?"_ I croaked, and she laughed. Christine could have been joking, but I wasn't sure.

"Relax, I healed it all up for you. You might have some scarring, but nothing too serious." She chuckled, and I felt along the back of my head. It was swathed with bandages. "You can go back to work in a couple of days, but then I want you to take it easy, ok?" She said, back to business.

"Sure," I said, rubbing the bandages around my forehead.

"Can I come in?" Asked a voice I knew all too well.

"James?" I called, and he pulled back the curtain, smiling sheepishly. He had a bandage around his forehead. "What happened to you, are you alright?" I asked worriedly. Christine ushered him to the stool and then left, giving me a wink.

"You kicked me in the head. But it was an accident," He amended, seeing my face.

"Gosh, James, I'm so sorry." I apologized profusely, remembering that somehow I had flown over him. I must not have gone perfectly over him. "Is everyone else ok?"

"Yeah, except you." James picked up my hand and my heart nearly broke. "Are _you_ ok?" He asked. Merlin, who knew this kid was so sweet?

"I'm fine, James." I assured him.

"Well, thanks for blocking it from me," He said, looking at my hand, a slight flush heating up his neck. I couldn't help it, (I'm not made of stone) I 'aawwwed' inside.

"You don't have to thank me, James. It's my job to keep you safe." I said firmly.

"Sorry about my Dad," he blurted suddenly. I thought I saw the curtain move a bit, but I wasn't sure. It was probably just Christine spying on me. She'd done that more than once.

"What are you talking about, James?" I asked curiously.

"I'm sorry that my Dad yelled at you. It's just that he doesn't sleep much and he's tired all the time. He's sad too." James said quietly, staring determinedly at my hand. My head pounded with too much emotion that this sweet little kid was bringing.

"James, I don't know much about your father. But I do know that he is a very good man." I said firmly, speaking directly to him. James raised his head. "Everyone has bad days, James, even your dad."

"He has more now that mum's gone." The kid dropped another bomb, and it made me freeze for a second.

"I'm sorry James, I really am. I know it hurts when you lose someone you love." I said softly, and he sniffed a little. "I lost my mum too." I supplied, and he looked up.

"You did?" He questioned very quietly, so I squeezed his hand.

"My mum and my dad, about a year after the war ended." I explained, and even I could hear the sadness in my voice.

"You're all alone?" James asked, concerned. It made me laugh, even though it was shaky.

"No, I have a brother. He's a Muggle," I told him, and he frowned.

"Scorpius wasn't very nice to you," He said, starting to get angry. "He called you a Mudblood."

"James, sometimes a parent's influence can rub off on their kid. And that kid doesn't know anything else but what their parents say. Scorpius is just doing what he thinks is right. You can't change people when they think they're right." I told him, and he nodded solemnly, his cute factor doubling. "Now, when do you get that cut on your head healed?" I asked him.

"When my dad gets back. He had to make sure my brother and sister were ok. I hope I get a scar," he added with excitement. "It'll look so cool!" He added with relish. I chuckled.

"Good, I'm glad you're going to be ok. Then when we meet again for practice, everyone is going to get a good talking to about safety." He laughed, and rubbed his forehead, letting go of my hand.

"Ok. Bye, Coach!" He said, and dashed out, grinning.

Harry POV

I stayed still, in the curtained off section next to Arlene's, my heart almost breaking. I thought I had been fooling everyone, but if James was worried, then I knew that I had failed. I was even more grateful to Arlene now. She hadn't prodded James for personal details, and she even admitted to him that she lost her parents. Regret shot through me as I remembered James apologizing for my outburst. Yikes. It looked like I had really screwed everything up. The Healer, Christine, walked by and slipped into her room. "How's the head?" she asked cheerfully.

"Drowning with too many thoughts." Arlene murmured.

"I hate to add some to the party, but your boss has called ten times in the past half an hour." Christine said, and Arlene swore under her breath. I left my hiding place and waited outside of her curtain.

"God damn it. Did he fire me?" She asked, and I ducked inside, throwing caution to the wind.


	7. Chapter 7

**(A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I've never gotten 8 reviews in one day before, and it was a nice surprise! Also, a quick heads up for you all- I have final exams coming up, which is why I worked hard to update early. I won't have time to write or update, sooner or later, but it shouldn't hold me back for long. Thanks!)**

Arlene POV

I looked at Mr. Potter in surprise when he suddenly slipped into my room. "They didn't fire you," He assured me kindly. "Can I have a word?" He added, his confident look falling away as a slight blush started up his neck. I looked at Christine, who snapped to life and backed out, leaving us alone.

"I'm so sorry for kicking your son," I said quickly, and he shook his head.

"You don't have to apologize. If anything, _I_ should be the one apologizing." He took a breath. "I'm sorry for shouting you at the last game. I was out of line," he said contritely. Did _Harry Potter_ just apologize to me? Wow. "And I need to thank you," He continued. "Without you, James would be in St. Mungo's for a lot longer, and with injuries far more serious. Thank you." He said firmly, sitting on the stool. The similarity between him and James were striking. I felt a pang of guilt as I remembered how I had immediately identified him as another one of the richy assholes who brought their kids to Quidditch for Kids. There was a lot more going on under the surface that I hadn't even known about. "And thank you for what you said to James." He said, and I looked up in shock. It hadn't been Christine listening, it had been _him._ I felt myself starting to blush.

"I'm just doing my job, Mr. Potter. This is usually how things go at my job. I'm just surprised that I wasn't fired." I marveled, and it was his turn to start to flush. The horrible truth dawned on me as he looked at his knees. "You intervened, didn't you?" I gasped, and his flush spread up to his face. "Oh, _Merlin._" I groaned, rubbing my face. "Thank you, sir, but you shouldn't have done that." I choked out, dreading seeing Taylor next. He would be on my ass until he finally fired me.

"Yes I should have. You deserve it. How are you feeling?" He changed the subject, and it made me frown. He shouldn't care…

"Some memories are a bit fuzzy, but I'll be perfectly fine." I assured him.

"Like brain damage? Is it permanent?" He sounded so concerned I almost laughed.

"No, nothing that serious. I just have a really strange memory that I can't explain. I don't have any magical family members, but someone was holding my hands," I trailed off with a deeper frown of confusion and rubbed my head. Was I going crazy?

"Um, that was me," he blurted out, and my eyebrows shot up.

"Sorry?" I gasped, and he flushed.

"Your Healer, Christine, she needed help and I was just standing there…" he stopped talking, beyond embarrassed.

"Oh," I croaked, feeling my own face heat until it was almost uncomfortable. I felt like I was going to die from embarrassment. Jesus, I was screaming my lungs out while _Harry Potter_ held my hands? Oh, God. Oh, Merlin. I would never live this down. How AWKWARD! "Well…thank you," I said, my voice surprisingly composed.

"Yeah, um, no problem," He said, then laughed nervously. "Wow, this is awkward." He chuckled, and I felt myself grin.

"Just a tad," I said with a smile.

"Um, I'm going to go to my son. Thanks again," He said, edging for the curtain.

"Your welcome," I said, and he left, leaving blessed silence and privacy so that I could think. The first person I thought of was Vincent, and I swore under my breath again. Almost as if she could read my thoughts, Christine came back in, grinning.

"So, how was your talk with _Mr. Potter?_" She whispered, then started giggling. I groaned.

"Shut up, Christine. Can I have my cell phone? My brother is probably freaking out." I said, and she stopped laughing, but was still chuckling as she came back with my phone. I dialed and didn't have to wait long.

"God, Arlene, don't do that." Vincent sighed. "What took you so long to call?" he asked, and I heard his kettle whistling. We called each other everyday, usually around the same time. We kind of had separation anxiety, especially because we lived in two different worlds.

"Well, I got hurt at work." I said, wincing internally.

"_What?" _he very nearly shouted, and I winced for real, holding the phone away from my ear. His outburst made my head ring.

"Relax, _Vince._" I said, slightly teasing. "It's nothing serious, just a bump on the head."

"So you're alright? Nothing broken?" He demanded, and I remembered Christine's 'brains' comments with a frown.

"Nothing broken," I lied. "Just a nasty scratch. I may even get a cool scar to show you," I said lightly, hoping that if I did get a scar, it wasn't so big that he freaked out again.

"How did it happen?" He asked curiously. I took a deep breath.

"Quidditch. It's not a big deal." I lied again, and he paused.

"You're lying, I can tell," he said with a sigh. "But if it is something I can't know because of the law, then I'll just have to deal."

"Well, sort of. It's more than just a scratch, but I can't tell you anything more. Sorry, Vincent. But I'll visit as soon as I can. Love you," I said, torn that I couldn't tell him more. I couldn't tell him about Quidditch—I didn't want the Ministry modifying his memory.

"Bye, Arlene. _Stay safe._ Love you," He stressed, and I hung up.

"Hey, Coach! Check it out! I gotta scar!" James crowed, ducking around the curtain and running over to show me. I instantly wiped the misery off my face and took a look. James had a faint pink line about three inches long on his forehead, the same size as a spike on my Quidditch cleats. I winced just thinking about it.

"Pretty cool, James." I said, even though I knew that it would probably heal over to normal skin.

"I know, right? Hey, Dad. Ready to go?" James bubbled with energy as Potter appeared, evidently looking for his son.

"Yes. Take care, Ms. Sommers." He told me, as James went over to him.

"You too, Mr. Potter." I said, and they left. I could hear James excitedly talking about showing his siblings the scar, and it made me smile tiredly. That kid was too damn adorable. "Hey, Christine, when can I get out of here?" I called, and she appeared, grinning.

"Do you feel better? Enough to stand up?" She said, and I swung my legs over the bed and slowly stood up, her grabbing my arm just in case. I blinked. My head was pounding, but I felt well enough. I hated hospitals anyway.

"I just have a killer headache is all. I'll be fine," I insisted, and looking doubtful, Christine let me go.

"Fine. But I'm giving you medication that you _have_ to take, ok? And you have to call. And no going to work tomorrow, alright? I already called and fought it over with your boss. No arguing!" She ordered when I opened my mouth to tell her off. "Here is your medication." She handed me my bag, showing me the three bottles inside. "Oh, and Marty dropped these off for you," She handed me some clean clothes that didn't have blood on them.

"Thanks," I told her with feeling, and she let me change. It wasn't fun getting my shirt on over my head, but I managed. "Christine, when can I take these bandages off?" I asked, and she peeked under them, making me swear in pain.

"When your head stops hurting without medication. Now, if you feel dizzy, see dark spots, feel like you are going to puke or start forgetting things, you need to call. You know what? I'll call you periodically to make sure. You are too sexy to die," she joked, and I rolled my eyes at her, laughing.

"Thanks again, Christine." I said, and she grinned.

"Get out of here. Go feed your pig," she said. I mock-saluted her and Apparated.


	8. Chapter 8

Arlene POV

When I got home, I actually threw up from the pain in my head. The Apparition was like bomb going off in my brain. After that, I ate something, took the medication, fed Samuel, and collapsed in bed. When I woke up, it was afternoon of the next day. There were two owls waiting for me, and five missed calls, two on my cell phone and three on the answering machine. With a groan, I stumbled out of bed and checked the owls first.

_I expect you back at work tomorrow._

_Taylor_

I threw that one away instantly, then checked the other owl.

_Hey, how are you doing? Owl me back with a description of how you feel. I want to make sure that you're all right. _

_Christine_

I hastily rounded up some parchment, but could only find a pen to write back with.

_I slept a long time, so I'm assuming that's a good thing. My head still hurts, but not as badly. And can I please take off these bandages so I can shower? Thanks again!_

_Arlene_

As soon as that was done, I took some more medication and fed Samuel, who looked a lot happier now that I was up and about. I wasn't that hungry, so I checked the messages on my phones. All of them were from Vincent, getting slightly more and more panicked as they went. With a sigh, I called him, my head pounding.

"Arlene, thank God. I thought you died or something." He said as soon as I picked up.

"I feel like it," I admitted, "but I'm fine. I'm not at the hospital anymore either, I'm at home, safe and sound."

"Good. I was worried, if you couldn't tell," He joked, no longer panicking.

"Oh, I could tell. I think the number of messages made it pretty clear. But don't worry, I'm fine. I work tomorrow, but can I still come and visit?"

"You get off at noon, right? Or is it a later game day?" Vincent and I knew each other's schedules almost by heart. After Mum and Dad died we got a lot more attached to each other.

"I get off at noon, yeah. Do you want to go out for coffee or something?"

"That would be great. Does Joe's sound good?" Joe's was the old café by our parent's house in London.

"Joe's would be great, thanks, Vincent. I'll see you soon." We both hung up, and I waited impatiently for Christine's owl. My clothes were clean, but I still had blood in my hair, on my neck, and down my front and back. Right before I totally lost it, Christine's owl came back.

_Need help? ;) Just kidding, but if your head hasn't hurt lately, you can shower. If not, just a sponge bath. And don't shower if your head still hurts, you'd get water in there, and then it would get infected. Sorry, Arlene. _

_Christine_

I swore angrily. My head was still pounding, even with the medication. Cursing that little rat, Scorpius, I took a sponge bath and stared at myself in the mirror. Admittedly, I looked like hell. My head was covered in a turban of white bandages, and I was pale. "Little shit," I growled under my breath, before going back to bed.

Harry POV

When James and I went home, I got Teddy, dropped him back off at Tonks' mom's house, then went to recollect Albus and Lily. As soon as Hermione opened the door, she brought me inside with a whirlwind of questions. "What's going on? Where were you? Is James ok? James, are you alright? What happened?" She demanded.

"Everyone is fine, Hermione. I'm sorry to have to dump the kids on you, but it was an emergency. James got hurt at a Quidditch game and I had to take him to St. Mungo's. He's fine now." I explained, bending down to swoop up Lily as she hugged my legs.

"Coach took a Bludger to the head for me!" James told Albus excitedly, and Hermione rounded on me with a frown.

"That's why we were a little late. I had to thank her obviously. It was an accident. Scorpius was playing dirty and aimed a Bludger at James. She was going to block it with her wand but wasn't on a fast enough broom." I explained quickly, giving Albus a hug. Hermione frowned deeper.

"Like father, like son, huh?" Ron asked for her, holding Rose on his lap while she finger painted with extreme enthusiasm. "Imagine if it was a grown man hitting that Bludger and not a kid. That wouldn't have ended well."

"He called the ref the 'm' word too. You know what I'm talking about." I said, and Hermione scowled.

"What a degrading and unpopular insult." She huffed. When she got angry, her words suddenly had more and more syllables. I thought it was hilarious. I'm pretty sure Ron found it hot, which is probably why they worked so well together.

"That's the Malfoy's for you." Ron said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, thank you both again." I thanked them both a million times, then brought the kids home. We played a large game of Exploding Snap, and Lily had a tea party with her stuffed animals. The next day, I took James to Quidditch, then had a doctor appointment with Albus. After running lots of errands and taking a visit to Diagon Alley, I was exhausted again.

Thankfully, the kids went to bed early, leaving me time to just relax. I couldn't help but think about the poor referee. She had brought me back to those terrible memories of Ginny, but for some reason, I wasn't that sad. Holding her hands had awoken happiness in me again. It seemed as if I needed a girl again in my life after all. Even though Ginny was still in my heart and on my mind everyday, she had been right. I needed to move on. The question was who was going to go on a normal date with Harry Potter? I needed someone who was like Ginny, smart, funny, and unwilling to take any crap.

She hadn't been fazed by how rich and famous I was, had even argued with me…she had talked to James like he was her own son…there was something special about Arlene Sommers, and I wanted to find out more about her.


	9. Chapter 9

Arlene POV

I spent the rest of the day reading, Samuel resting lightly on my lap. My head ached all day, and I was tempted to overdose on the medication before I went to bed. I had to work the next day, and Taylor would probably accuse me of drinking alcohol on the job if he saw me taking the pain potions. Arse. Anyway, I took the normal dose and went back to bed.

My alarm going off the next day sounded like an air-horn to the ear. With much grumbling and swearing, I got out of bed and ready for work. To compensate for the bandages wound around my head, I put some makeup on. I didn't want to scare the kids, and I didn't want to look as terrible as I did yesterday. I also grabbed a scarf to wrap around my head (regrettably like a cancer patient) to hide the bandages when I went to meet Vincent. Even though I wasn't hungry, I spread some hummus on a bagel and ate that while I got my purse and fed Samuel. Dreading the pain from the Apparition, I took the pain meds with me and Apparated. I staggered, holding onto Taylor's desk for balance as the pain came roaring back. I felt like I was twenty times hungover.

"You're alive, I see," Taylor said sourly, and I closed my eyes for a second, praying to Merlin that I wouldn't puke. The nausea passed, thank God.

"Soldiering on, as always," I sighed, and after another moment, tried to act normally and checked in.

"No accidents today. You're replacement yesterday was terrible," whined Taylor, his way of saying that he was glad I was back.

"Can do," I muttered, and left the office. First place I went was to the office above the stadium, where Marty ran commentary. He was in there, talking with Alfonso. I knocked on the door.

"Arlene!" He greeted me excitedly, giving me a big hug. "You're alive!" He rejoiced, and I couldn't help but smile sheepishly.

"Thanks to Christine and especially Alfonso. Thanks," I said, giving him a mock salute.

"Es no problemo," He said easily, sipping his tea, but giving me a warm smile in return.

"So, you're feeling better? You look like you're wearing a turban made of snow," Marty said matter-of-factly. I rolled my eyes. Marty could be kind of strange. He certainly _looked_ strange. The man was a good six feet six inches tall, with an unruly mop of almost white-blond hair and a crooked smile.

"Well enough to meet my brother after work. You know how worried we get about each other. I daresay he might have laid an egg this time." I joked.

"What are you going to cover up your turban de nieve with? Not that it isn't a great look for you." Alfonso teased, as Marty poured me a cup of tea.

"I have devised the most elegant solution." I declared with mock sincerity, whipping out the scarf and wrapping it around my head. Alfonso roared with laughter, while Marty stared at me in astonishment.

"Oh no you didn't," he said, starting to chuckle, "you look terminally ill for Merlin's sake!"

"I'm going to take that as a compliment." I said breezily, taking it off and stuffing it back into my bag, and downed the tea. "Now, I'm pretty sure the darling little angels are here, and ready for my long speech on Quidditch safety. I'll see you two later." Their goodbyes followed me out and out to the pitch. I walked down the aisle steps and lightly vaulted over the edge and into the grass of the stadium. The kids were waiting, the few late ones hurrying over.

"Coach!"

"You're alive!"

"You look like a mummy!"

"Is that a turban?"

Their voices reached me before they did, swarming around like a flock of sheep. Only Scorpius and a few of his friends hung back. He had a satisfied smirk on his face I had to work hard to ignore. "You look _awesome, _Coach." James said by my sleeve, smiling up at me. His 'scar' was already gone, much to my relief.

"Go home, terrorist!" A voice shouted, and I had deep suspicions that it was Scorpius.

"Oh, so you like my new hairdo?" I teased, ignoring him and spent the first few minutes of practice answering the kid's questions. Some were ridiculous, like, 'Are there Bludger bits in your brain?' We finally got to my long but extremely firm speech about safety and playing fairly and respectfully. I swear, Scorpius zoned out for my entire ramble about sportsmanship, the little rat. But then I finally got them on their brooms, at first only yelling out training exercises, but then Summoning my faithful broomstick and sat 'side-saddle' for awhile, floating at their height, but moving as little as possible. When the kids took their break, I took some more of the medication, tempted even more to double the dosage.

Noon couldn't come fast enough, but when it did, I was dying to get out of there. But I had to stay and make sure that each tyke's parents came to get them. Then, of course, most of the parents came over and told me the same crap: Feel better soon, that was so brave, thank you for protecting our children, blah, blah, blah. And things got terribly awkward as Mr. Potter himself made his way over. "You're looking much better," he said as he approached me. I was cleaning up after the kids, all part of the job, of course. I flicked my wand at all of the field equipment and it went soaring back into storage.

"Thank you," I said lightly, turning to face him. He looked slightly taken aback by the bandages, but got a hold of himself pretty quickly.

"You _are_ alright, aren't you? Not many people go back to work after only a day of rest when taking a Bludger to the head." He questioned, and I laughed. Oh god, here we go.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine. The hit wasn't that strong to begin with," I lied slightly, remembering the _crack_ noise it had made, and Christine's 'brains' comment. He frowned, obviously not buying it either.

"Well, that's good," He said, and for a moment, we just stood awkwardly before he leaned a little closer, clearing his throat slightly. "I just wanted you to know, that if there is anything you need, don't be afraid to ask." He said as I fished in my bag for the scarf. I was already late, _crap._ It would be just another reason for Vincent to get worried unnecessarily. And, I had _Harry Potter_ trying to desperately make amends to me. I was in a pickle, that's for sure. I mean, it wasn't a _bad_ thing, but, come on. I had the richest, most famous and pretty darn handsome man in the wizarding world treating me like a normal human being, and not like one of his servants. I couldn't lie to myself—I liked it.

"Oh, um, thanks," I said, feeling the usual embarrassment coming back. I pulled out the scarf and hid the bandages. "Really, thank you," I added, thinking rapidly ahead as to how I was going to escape while still being polite. "but I'm afraid I've got to run. Thank you for your offer, I'll keep it in mind. Goodbye, Mr. Potter, Goodbye, James." I said cheerfully. He looked taken aback again, but they both said their goodbyes, and immediately after, I Apparated away.

Harry POV

She disappeared, and I instantly felt my curiosity spike. Where was she going? "Hey, Dad, I'm going to talk with Andrew, kay?" James called, already walking away to talk to his friends. I waved to him and he took off. I considered going to the stadium and sitting down when I saw the commentator, the man I had seen Arlene talking with more than once, walking along. Seizing the opportunity, I approached him. "You commentate the games, right?" I asked, and he gaped at me for a second before nodding, calming down.

"That's me. Marty Gladden, at your service." He said, and we shook hands. I almost had to look up to see his face clearly.

"Are you friends with Arlene?" I heard myself ask, and nearly flushed red from embarrassment, what a stupid question. However, Marty didn't look that surprised that I was asking.

"She was working here before I was, and we sort of clicked. Not like that," he amended instantly, seeing something in my expression (which only increased my embarrassment), "We aren't boyfriend and girlfriend or anything. We're friends." Marty said confidently, and I could tell that he was being honest.

"Well then, um, I don't mean to pry or be too creepy, but does Arlene have a boyfriend?" I tried to ask casually, but I still felt like a stalker. Marty laughed.

"Merlin, no. She really doesn't date. The only man she meets with every week is her brother. That's why she left in such a rush." He said, and I felt a rush of new embarrassment flood over me. I was being such a dolt, an over-protective, nosy, creepy dolt. This was none of my business, and worse yet, I realized that I already wanted Arlene, and I certainly didn't want her to be with anyone else.


	10. Chapter 10

Arlene POV

I swore when I stubbed my toe, and then clutched my head for a minute or two. I was in a tiny little alley a few blocks away from the coffee shop. It was the only place I could safely Apparate to without being seen. Unfortunately, it also took a lot of concentration not to Splinch in the narrow space. Although, I had to admit, the pain in my head wasn't so bad anymore. Making sure that my wand and pain potions were safely stored out of sight, I adjusted the scarf and set out for Joe's Café. I loved the tiny streets of older London, they held all sorts of fantastic shops and stores among them, if you were brave enough to venture in. It was all too easy to get lost. Several twists and turns later, the café came into view. I could easily see Vincent, nervously twisting his watch as he waited for me, a cup in front of him. From far away, he looked a lot like dad- a longer face with a strong jaw and dark brown hair. I started my trek over, and I swear, he had Arlene radar, because he looked up instantly and his mouth dropped open. "Jesus, Arlene," He breathed, darting out of his chair to meet me halfway.

"I'm alright, I swear." I promised him, pulling off the scarf so he could see why I was wearing it. His eyes widened until I thought they would pop out of his head. I smiled, chagrin filling me.

"What the hell happened to you?" He gasped, lightly running his fingers over it.

"I took something very hard moving very fast to the back of the head." I summarized, guiding him back to his table and putting the scarf back over my head.

"But you are ok, right?" He checked, and I took both of his hands.

"I'm perfectly fine," I repeated, and he slowly relaxed, still looking at my head suspiciously.

"I can never leave you alone, can I?" He joked, and I rolled my eyes, starting to laugh.

"Probably not. It's been me hurt the past couple times, right?" I was referring to our tally we had going of how many times the other got hurt at their job. So far, I was winning.

"Yeah, but nothing like this." He said with a trace of glumness, before hailing a waiter and ordering me a coffee.

"But you were really hurt when that shark gnawed on you." I pointed out, and it was his turn to roll his eyes. They had him feed the sharks one day…and one wanted a bit more than just tuna. It got a good chomp on him, and he still had the scars.

"Speaking of my job, I have a new coworker. Her name is Michelle."

"Oooh, _Michelle._" I teased, and he started to flush. "So, have you snogged her yet?" I asked casually, and he nearly choked into his coffee, but didn't glare at me. Instead, he started to full out flush. "You _did, _didn't you? Oh, is she pretty?" I pushed, leaning forward as he flushed darker yet. God, sometimes my brother was such a dork. But it was cute.

"She's really pretty, and yes, I did snog her. But that's not the point." He said, the flush starting to go away, his eyes sparkling with pride. "She's my girlfriend."

I started laughing, and swatted him on the arm. "Nice! Congrats!" I said, and he took a sip of his coffee, looking very proud of himself, and so he should. None of us had really dated since our parents died, so he was finally starting to move on a little, which was _great._

"We are going out for lunch in a few days…will you come with and meet her?" He asked, and I sobered up.

"What am I going to tell her?" I asked, and Vincent frowned, thinking fast.

"You teach peewee soccer," He blurted out, and I started laughing.

"Whatever you say, Vince. I'd love to meet her. What day is it again?"

"Two days from now. And it's going to be a nice lunch, so dress up. What?" He asked, seeing something in my expression.

"It's a late game day that day. But that's ok, I can referee in a dress. It's actually easier than you'd think," I reassured him, and he grinned.

"Awesome. Great." He said, clearly pleased. I chuckled.

"You are such a dork." I muttered, and he smacked me playfully.

"Hey, no picking on me. Are _you_ seeing anyone?" He dropped a bomb of a question and it made me freeze. For some reason, the first person to come into my head was _Harry freakin' Potter._ No, bad Arlene! _Bad!_ Why did I think of him? I was his kids _Quidditch_ instructor. It could never happen. He had no interest in me, and I had no interest in him. Right? Right. Good. "You _are_ seeing someone! Who is it?" He demanded, misinterpreting my stiffening to the fact that he caught me by surprise.

"No, I'm not seeing anyone," I said, pushing Harry Potter's attractive face from my mind. "Serious!" I swore, seeing his doubtful face. "I'm really not seeing anyone. Seriously." I said in a much calmer tone, and he started laughing.

"Look who's the dork now." He teased, making me groan in exasperation.

"You are impossible." I sighed, and finished off my coffee. I didn't own anything 'fancy' as Vincent put it for this lunch, so I'd have to go to shopping for something. "Ok, you go hang out with your girlfriend, I won't get into any accidents, and I'll see you soon," I proposed, and he thought about it, nodding.

"Yeah, that sounds good. And remember, _fancy._" He said, and we hugged goodbye. We went our separate ways, and I Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron and went to Diagon Alley, and from there, to Madam Malkins.

"Hello, dear, what can I do for you?" She asked, coming over to me, unconsciously looking me up and down, focused mostly on my head.

"I need a nice dress for a lunch party." I said, and she whisked me off to the dress selection, automatically pulling my size without me telling her, and going on about how certain dresses looked better with athletic frames.

"Do you want a matching scarf for your hair?" She asked, and I felt my face flush. I quickly pulled it off, and the look on her face was priceless.

"No thank you. I think I'll be free to take these off before the luncheon." I explained hastily what had happened, and she lamented on about the danger of sports in a friendly, caring, grandmotherly way as she pushed me towards a changing room. I ended up in a deep plum colored dress with thin straps and a tight belt around the waist. It had a sheer layer over the dress in the same color that was slightly wavy at the bottom. **(There is a link on my profile if you are interested.) **I thanked Madam Malkin profusely and Apparated home with the dress bag. Samuel snorted in greeting, stretched out on the back steps like the adorable lazy pig he was, soaking up the sun.

I went inside, and hung up the dress in my closet and stared at it. It had unexpectedly made me think of Harry Potter again, and how I had randomly thought of him as soon as Vincent said 'boyfriend'. I frowned at the dress. Why did I think of him? Yes, he was a nice man that was devilishly attractive and had at least one adorable kid out of three. He was only a year older than me.

But his wife had only been dead for three years, right after their youngest was born. It hadn't been long enough. I still wasn't over the death of my parents, and that was almost ten years ago. Even if I did have a chance, it was too soon. I couldn't do that to anyone, much less the frickin' _Savior_ of the wizarding world.

I felt old. Vince was younger than me, and he already had a girlfriend at twenty, and I was twenty three. It wasn't that big of a difference, but it was enough to bother me. "Maybe I should get out more," I said to the dress, and downstairs, Samuel snorted.


	11. Chapter 11

Harry POV

I needed to talk to someone. This felt wrong, so wrong. It was very possible that I was falling in love with Arlene Sommers, while my heart would, and would always belong to Ginny. But I couldn't talk to Hermione about this, nor Ron. And I certainly wasn't going to see a therapist. I'd be all over the _Prophet_ before the afternoon was out. So after a long internal debate, I went to see Mrs. Weasley at the Burrow. When she answered the door, she looked the same as always, minus the grey streaks in her hair and a few more wrinkles. "Harry, dear, what brings you here today?" She asked warmly, ushering me inside.

"I, uh, I-we need to talk," I spluttered, unsure how to voice what I wanted. She studied me a moment, then led me to their little parlor. Not much had changed-the grandfather clock with the family members was still ticking away, and in various places around the room crocheting was crocheting itself. The house was oddly silent without a large number of kids running around.

"Now, what is it you want to talk about?" She asked patiently, and it nearly made tears well up in my eyes. To think-she was being so caring (as usual) to me, when I had come here to confess how I was starting to betray her daughter. It made me feel sick.

"I think I'm falling in love," I blurted out, and then I was rambling, the whole story spilling from my mouth. "There is this woman, she coaches James at the Quidditch place, and she reminds me _so much_ of Ginny it hurts. She saved James' life a few days ago, and I saw her at St. Mungo's. I held her hands through her pain, just like I did with Ginny, and I started to compare the two, and then-" Mrs. Weasley raised a hand, and I instantly quieted, panting slightly. _Oh, Merlin, here it comes,_ I thought. Surely she would kick me out now, crying about how I was forgetting Ginny, her beautiful and only daughter.

"Harry, Harry, Harry," She sighed fondly, Summoning a teapot and cups. She poured me one, and I accepted it with trembling hands. "For such a brave man, you can be incredibly foolish. It's _normal_ that you are falling in love again. I can tell by how distressed you are that deep inside, you will _always_ love Ginny. I'm not surprised that you would find someone that reminded you of Her. Now, start over, from the beginning, and talk slowly. I'm not going to Banish you from my house," She said with a chortle. Relieved, I started over, explaining everything. She nodded throughout the whole thing, and chuckled often. "Describe Arlene," was all she said when I finished the story. I hesitated, wanting to capture Arlene the way I saw her, and make Mrs. Weasley understand at the same time.

"She's beautiful," was the first thing that popped out of my mouth, but I continued, my voice getting surer. "She's…average height, and has an athletic frame. She's thin, but not super skinny. Her hair is brown, but it has the most amazing red tint to it, especially in the sun. Her eyes-they are just so…they are grey, but blue at the same time. She's funny, smart, and not fazed by celebrities. She's a Chaser, and, Merlin, she is _so_ like Ginny. Her facial expressions, her sayings…just the way…just-it's the way she is," I ended lamely, but to my surprise, Mrs. Weasley started full out laughing.

"You, Harry," she said kindly, "are head over heels in love. And Arlene sounds wonderful. So what's the problem?" She asked, and it was like a lightbulb going off in my brain. What _was_ the problem?

"I don't know," I said, sounding dazed. She laughed again, patting my knee gently.

"Harry…you need to go after this girl. And whenever you think of Ginny, send her love, light and happiness…and then let her go. You can miss her, but you can't miss the rest of your life." She said wisely, and then got up and stretched. I stared at her blankly, and then, for the first time in a long time, a huge grin went over my face, and I could feel the happiness all the way down in my toes.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley. Thank you so much." I said gratefully as she sat back down, cracking her knuckles.

"That's what I'm here for, Harry, dear. Now, if you don't mind me asking, what specifically has Arlene done that reminds you of Ginny?"

"Well…when I lost my cool during the Quidditch game, and she was calmly telling me what to do…she raised her one eyebrow half way up in that cocky way that Ginny used to do when she knew she was going to win an argument," I started, and Mrs. Weasley nodded after a moment, smiling softly.

"And when she was talking to James in the hospital…she treated him with respect, like her own son. The way she said things…it was just boggling to me how much it reminds me of Her. Everyday, I'm seeing it now, the resemblance, I mean," I said with a sigh, but it was a happy sigh. It was like the beautiful person I knew Ginny to be wasn't really gone. And that was the best feeling in the whole world.

"Do you remember the first time you were at the Burrow and Ginny saw you? You were twelve, and that foolish girl, she acted as if she had seen a night troll when she saw you," Mrs. Weasley said with a chuckle. I smiled faintly, recalling that day. I had been so happy, free from the Dursley's, and then Ginny had acted like that. That was the first time I had wondered about her for more than thirty seconds.

"I remember." I supplied, far away in the memory. Fred was still there, and George still had his other ear. Times had been good. "You weren't there, but when I was trying to get out of the school to rescue Sirius," I paused when I said his name, feeling a huge pang of sadness, "she gave a kid the worst Bat Bogey Hex you would have ever seen." Mrs. Weasley laughed out loud, and I found myself joining in, despite still missing Sirius. I still blamed myself for his death, and I probably always would.

"I can imagine," Mrs. Weasley said, smiling at the grandfather clock. Ginny's hand was still there, but it had shrunk, along with Fred's to point to nothing, only resting in the center of the clock. "She always had a bit of a temper. I daresay that she gets it from me."

"No offense, this is a good thing, but I can totally agree with that, Mrs. Weasley." I said honestly, and she smiled wider as I stood up. "Thank you so much, again, for your help." I said earnestly, and she only smiled and saw me to the door, waving me on, but not after offering me food and a crocheted sweater. I politely denied both and Apparated back home. The kids were exactly as I had left them, James had his nose stuck in a Quidditch book, Albus was slightly watching the telly, and slightly watching Lily, who was painting with the same enthusiasm as Rose.

"Hey, Dad," Albus greeted me, and his voice was so slow that I realized he was also half-asleep. "How was Mrs. Weasley?"

"Great, as always. Thank you for watching your sister," I said, and he smiled sleepily.

"Yah," he said, before his eyelids drooped. I shut off the telly and got him upstairs into his own bed. Then I helped Lily clean up, and hung her newest masterpiece in her room. She promptly fell asleep after that. When I went to check on James, he was also asleep, his book over his face- the light still on. I shut off his light, setting the book on his nightstand. Then I went to bed, smiling and thinking of Arlene.

Mrs. Weasley had told me just what I needed to hear, and it was something I never would have been able to realize on my own. I knew now that I _could_ love again, and that Ginny would never be forgotten.

But now I had a new problem. How was I going to approach Arlene, and would she love me too?


	12. Chapter 12

Arlene POV

I got up early out of nervousness. Today was the day I was to meet Vincent's girlfriend. I had always been more comfortable alone, and meeting new people tended to make me very fidgety and strange. Trying to calm my nerves, I had a light breakfast and then started to get ready. After taking off the bandages, (THANK YOU MERLIN!) I put on more makeup than usual- creating a smoky eyed look with purple tones. I put my hair half up in a bun style, and let little curly wisps fall around my face. Then I slipped into the dress and a pair of strappy black heels, grabbing a nicer purse. Pausing, I looked at Samuel. Even he seemed skeptical about my appearance. "Shut up," I told him, and Apparated. Vincent had given me the address, but I had to Apparate a few blocks away in order to not be seen. A short and tense walk later, I was in front of the most fancy and upscale place I had ever seen. Feeling extremely out of place, I walked inside and was immediately met by a too smug looking Butler.

"Can I help you, Miss?" He asked politely, but with an air of haughtiness.

"Yes, I'm part of the Sommers party," I said coolly, pretending that he was one of the dickhead parents at Quidditch for Kids. He looked at me with almost a doubtful air for a moment, before leading me away through a maze of fancy tables and booths. Thankfully Vincent and a beautiful woman that had to be Michelle appeared fairly quickly. Vincent saw me and stood up, grinning. He cocked an eyebrow at me, clearly entertained by the fact that I was actually dressed up for once.

"Arlene! Michelle, this is my sister, Arlene." He introduced us, and we smiled at each other as I sat down.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Vince has been telling me so much about you." Michelle said, and I said something polite back, scrutinizing her carefully. She had lovely golden blond hair to her shoulders in very loose curls, a gentle smile, and beautiful green eyes. I looked at her eyes a bit longer than I should have, they were so familiar…_Harry._ I nearly choked on my tea, but managed to pull it off as a large sip. _God, stop thinking of a man you'll never get with! _I yelled at myself internally.

After a half and hour, I fully relaxed. Michelle was actually a great person. Once you got past the fact that we were all dressed up and eating at such a stuck up sort of place you wanted to scream from the rigidness of it all, I was seriously enjoying myself. I learned a lot more about Michelle, (she played girls rugby and was a lot smarter than she looked) and Vincent managed to embarrass the hell out of me talking about how I coached little kid soccer. It was so far from the truth I wanted to melt away and die. Why did I have to be a witch? It would make this a helluva lot easier. We parted from the restaurant with promises to meet again soon. I walked away at a leisurely pace, too thrilled about Vincent's luck to think about anything else…until I checked my watch.

"Bollocks!" I yelped, getting a dirty look from an old woman. I was late for work, and I didn't have time to change. I almost ran to my secluded spot, and Apparated.

"You're late," was the first thing Taylor said, and then, "What the hell are you wearing?"

"Sorry," I gasped, "my Muggle brother-I met his girlfriend-it ran late, gotta go!" Dropping my punch in card, I flew out of the office and ran into Marty.

"Hey-_whoa._" He said after steadying me. "You look…wow." Marty gaped at me like a fish, and I smacked his arm, having to stretch to do so even in heels.

"Say nothing if you value your life." I warned him, and he started to chuckle.

"Whatever you say. Should I escort you to the pitch, ma'am?" He asked, offering his arm. I smacked him again, and he started to full out laugh, rubbing the spot on his forearm. "See you later, your Highness," he chuckled, running away as I glared after him with enough force to liquefy his kidneys. I was the only woman working here, so I was pretty much one of the guys. Except for today, apparently I was royalty now. With a sigh, I walked the rest of the way to the pitch. The kids were running around the pitch and laughing, while the parents were muttering to each other in the stands.

"Sorry I'm late," I called, flicking my wand at the locked field equipment box, the case holding the Quaffle, Bludgers and Snitch. Heads turned, at first to glare at me, but the parents looked at me in shock, obviously thinking that I was just a low class ruffian incapable of looking like anything but. I flicked my wand again and my faithful broomstick zoomed out, which I caught with my free hand. I made the mistake of looking up and directly at Harry Potter. His jaw was fully down, looking at me with some kind of spark in his eyes. It made a strange tingle go down my spine, and it made me shiver slightly. I had to look away; the look in his green eyes was just too much for me. "Come on, let's play," I told the kids, primly sliding over the edge to the field. Deep inside I was proud that I could walk in the three inch heels I was wearing over the springy turf. The kids lined up, and I sat lightly on the broom on my side, rising into the air, before firing sparks at the box. The balls launched into play, and I refereed the whole game with no problems, even sitting the way I was on the broom. Surprisingly, there were a lot less fouls then usual, and none of the parents intervened.

The game ended easily, and Harry Potter and his son left early. With a sigh, I kicked off my heels as the last parent left, and took down my hair. I shook my head to free my hair fully, and savored the fact that my head didn't hurt. When I had been able to take off the bandages, my hair was caked with blood, and I had managed to get a scar on the back of my head, about three inches long. Luckily my hair covered most of it, and my head felt normal now. With a sigh, I let my toes dig into the soft grass as I walked around the field, making sure that it was clean and safe. Then I went into the locker room to clean there.

Harry POV

"Sorry I'm late," when I heard her voice, I instantly turned and my mind went blank. Arlene was wearing a lovely plum colored dress with a belt that showed just how skinny she was. Her hair was up and flowed lightly around her face, her eyes had a much more sultry and deeply mysteriously look about them. She walked confidently, her head up and her posture perfect. Her outfit left a lot less to the imagination…it took my breath away. Her gaze met mine for just a moment, but in that moment, something re-awoke in me. It was pure lust. She was perfect, beautiful, and Mrs. Weasley was right. I _was_ head over heels in love with her. I barely paid attention to the game, I was only watching her, crossing her legs as she soared around the field, her unique eyes always moving as she watched the game. When the game ended, a plan snapped into my mind. I'd drop James back off with Hermione as planned, but then I'd come back here and approach Arlene. So that's what I did. I got James to Hermione's as fast I could, ignored the shocked looks from Hermione at my cheerful mood, then Apparated back as fast as I could. Vaulting over the edge of the field, I came across a broomstick and no one else. _Damn, I missed her._ I frowned, nudging the broom with my toe. It wasn't Arlene's, so after a look around, I mounted the broom and took off.

I hadn't flown in so long; I couldn't help but _whoop_ with joy. The field was smaller than what I was used to, but then again, it was a kiddie field. I darted around the field before I noticed that another person was on it. Seconds later, Arlene Sommers pulled up sharply beside me, sitting neatly on her broom, wearing a frown. "Mr. Potter, might I ask you what you think you're doing?" She asked, and I pulled my broom closer. Her hair was blowing slightly in the breeze.

"Kissing you," I replied smartly, making a snap second decision. I leaned over, gently taking her face in my hands and kissed her. For a moment, my lips only pushed on hers, sending my heart into my throat, but then she kissed back, slowly at first, but then stronger. Somehow we drifted back to earth, and then I lightly pushed her up against one of the stadium columns, my lips devouring hers. She nibbled on my bottom lip and I nearly groaned out loud. Her fingers worked their way through my hair as my body pressed up against hers. When I pulled away for breath, she put a finger on my lips, stopping me from kissing her again. In the shadow of the column her eyes seemed even more sultry to me.

"Mr. Potter," she started, but I shook my head instantly.

"Harry," I instructed, and she smiled.

"_Harry…_if we're going to do this-and I'm not saying that I won't- but if we do this, I think we should be friends first." She said seriously, and I instantly realized that she was right, and that just kissing her like that made me look like a player.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I swear that I'm looking for a relationship, not a-a mistress." I summed up lamely, and she lazily draped her arms over my shoulders.

"I'll give you a shot," she said with a slightly cocky manner, raising her eyebrow like Ginny.

"That's all I need," I promised, before kissing lightly on the lips, then the jaw, and then I was trailing them down her neck.

_Scorpius_ POV

Father was taking an annoyingly long time at the office, so I went back to the stadium, looking for something to mess with. Unfourtanetly that Mudblood witch had securely packed everything away. I turned to go with a dissatisfied scowl firmly in place when I heard laughter. After a second of scouring the field, I saw Harry Potter _kissing _the coach, and she was laughing, her head thrown back as he kissed lower and lower…

An evil smile slowly made it across my face. "You wait, you filthy Mudblood. My father will _definitely_ hear about this."


	13. Chapter 13

Arlene POV

I was literally on cloud nine. I had Chaser training, and then a DATE with _Harry Potter,_ the man I thought I'd never get with, considering we had started out hating each other. I was literally dancing around my house. Even though it may not go anywhere, and his kids may not like me, and the tabloids might find out, I was still overjoyed; because it was pretty damn obvious that Harry Potter was the most eligible bachelor in the wizarding world. And, he was _hot._ Not just because he was a hero, but because he was actually good looking. To put him out of my mind, (at least for a little while) I trained hard at Chaser training, completely throwing myself into the game.

When I was home and showered, I stared at my closet. Harry had obviously liked how I looked yesterday, but I didn't dress like that everyday. Should I dress up again, or go like myself? My eyes wandered over my clothes. Well, I was meeting his kids today, so a dress was definitely out. In the end, I wore my great pair of skinny jeans that I thought made my butt look good, a pair of trainers and my Holly Harpies jersey. Then I put my hair up in a ponytail and kissed Samuel goodbye. I Apparated to outside Quidditch for Kids. Harry couldn't risk writing me because of the press, so we decided to meet somewhere he already would go. I walked around the office, and he was already there. Without speaking, he simply took my arm and Apparated. We appeared in front of one of the most beautiful houses I had ever seen. It was in the middle of the country, light blue in color, with white shutters. It was easily three stories tall, surrounded by towering orangey maple trees. "Wow," I breathed looking at it. "You have a beautiful home," I informed him as we strolled up the front walk.

"And I'm jealous of your Holly Harpies jersey. I'm just glad you aren't a Tornado fan." He said, and I immediately felt a spark of pride. I had agonized over my outfit just enough.

"I don't know a single Tornado fan, to tell you the truth." I said as he led me inside. The house was as beautiful inside as it was outside. He laughed, and then I heard some scampering. I turned, and a cute little girl was standing there, her hands covered with paint. She watched us for a moment.

"Dadee, who is this?" She asked, and Harry glanced at me. I was melting into a puddle of goo this girl was so cute.

"I'm Arlene," I said, squatting down to her level. She eyed me, then a grin went over her face.

"Your preettyyy. I'm Lily!" She chirped, and then ran back down the hallway and turned left.

"Well, now you've met two out of three yet sometimes four." Harry said, and I looked at him in surprise. I was positive he only had three kids.

"Three yet sometimes four?" I asked, and he chuckled. "Who is this mysterious fourth?" I pressed.

"I am," said a rather dry voice. I looked away from Harry. In Lily's place stood a kid that was about eleven, maybe twelve. He didn't look much like Harry, in fact, he didn't look much like anyone I knew related to Harry. He was sporting bleach blond hair that was shaved on the sides and stood straight up. The tips of the spikes went to blue, then black. Then his hair _changed colors._ I had heard of Metamorphous people, but I had never actually seen someone.

"Well, that's cool," I said lightly, and Harry started laughing. "I'm Arlene." I said kindly. The boy pursed his lips slightly and studied me.

"Teddy," He said with that same 'I don't care' attitude before nodding to Harry and disappearing. I looked to Harry, desperately confused, and he put a hand on my shoulder, steering me after Lily.

"Teddy is my godson. His parents were killed in the battle for Hogwarts. He lives inbetween his Grandmother's house and mine." He explained lightly. "And this is Albus," He said, introducing me to his final son. He was the spitting image of Harry himself, minus the glasses and scar. He had the same intensely beautiful green eyes.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Albus said formally, and I nearly burst out laughing, but shook his hand nonetheless. He looked at his dad. "Was that ok?" He whispered to him, and I politely looked away, joining Lily at the kitchen island.

"Paint with me!" she insisted as James greeted me hurriedly before going back to his Quidditch book.

"Sure," I said, and slipped out of the jersey to be in my tanktop. I could care less about the tanktop, but my jersey was golden. I wasn't going to get a speck of paint on it. I gave Harry a slight smirk as he looked at me in shock, his eyes gleaming when I stripped the shirt off. I could tell that he liked it. "Let's paint," I told Lily seriously, and gladly finger-painted with her, talking to Harry at the same time.

"So, what was with the fancy clothes the other day?" He asked, and I grinned at my painting, trying not to flush as I remembered the rest of that day with a sweet happiness that made me almost giddy.

"I was meeting my brother's girlfriend at a fancy restaurant." I explained, then drew a cow wearing sunglasses for Lily to color in as she demanded it.

"Well, you looked good in my opinion. Did the girlfriend pass?" He asked, and I looked up at him, trying not to smile devilishly and failing. Of course he liked the dress, that's all he could say inbetween kissing me.

"She passed with flying colors. But I nearly died when I had to tell her my job was coaching little league soccer. They're Muggles," I explained as his brows furrowed, mouth opening.

"Oh, so that's why you didn't say Quidditch," he said, his eyebrows calming down.

"Dadee, what's 'soccer'?" Lily asked, more paint on her face then on the page.

"It's a Muggle sport." He told her, leaning up against the counter, my jersey safely in his hands away from the paint. I didn't have the heart to tell him that it wasn't a fake jersey, but my first jersey for the team before my parents died. I didn't even get a chance to play, just train.

"Draw me a soccer ball!" She insisted, so I did. She colored it rainbow, but I thought it was an improvement from the usual soccer ball.

After Lily was done painting, I got a tour of the house from Harry, but we didn't actually get a chance to really talk to him (with the topics we wanted to talk about) because his kids were constantly around. I didn't mind, they were a lot better and cuter than the kids I normally coached, but Harry and I had little to no time together. In the end, I stayed for dinner, which was an exciting visit back to food I used to eat as a kid, like chicken nuggets and mac and cheese. So far, I had every child's stamp of approval except for Teddy. He still regarded me with an air of dislike, but hey, you can't please everyone. I helped Harry put his kids to bed, and then he walked me to the door. We paused in the doorway, unwilling to separate now that we actually had time together.

"Thank you," was the first thing he said, "for helping with the kids. You were amazing with them."

"I work with kids everyday, and kids a lot more troublesome than yours. And I had fun." I said honestly, and he smiled.

"Well, next time we should go on an actual date." He said.

"Agreed. We've got to get to know each other eventually." We fell into silence for a moment.

"Can I kiss you goodnight?" He asked almost hopefully, and I couldn't help but laugh, take him lightly by the collar, and kiss him. His arms snaked around my waist and I let mine fall over his shoulders, lightly messing with his hair. Like a true gentleman, he didn't keep sucking face with me, (even though I knew that's what we both wanted) and said goodnight. He watched me walk down the walk, and I could feel his eyes on me even when I Apparated back home.


	14. Chapter 14

Arlene POV

I waited nervously in my kitchen, leaning against the counter. Today was the first official date between Harry and I. To keep it a secret, he agreed to come out to the middle of nowhere where I lived to go on a hike/picnic. He was a few minutes late, but with kids, I expected nothing less. I was dressed casually again, in my old brown combat boots, skinny jeans, and a olive colored long sleeved thermal shirt. My hair was in a loose braid, and I felt much to masculine, even if we were hiking. Thankfully, I heard the pop of Harry Apparating outside my door, and I quickly let him in. "Hey, sorry I'm late," he said breathlessly, suddenly finding himself so close to me. I stepped back, giving him space.

"That's fine, I know I live in a weird place." I said, leaning against the counter next to the picnic basket. With a snort, Samuel wandered into the kitchen, making Harry yelp in surprise.

"There is a pig in your house," he said, and I laughed.

"Yes, that's Samuel. He's my uniquely different wizard's familiar. Isn't that right, Samuel?" I asked, and he snorted again, lifting his snout high before going back to snuffling around Harry's shoes.

"You have a pet pig," He repeated, looking stunned. Then he started laughing. "Wow, I've never heard of that before. Hey, Samuel." Harry greeted him, squatting down to get a better look at him. Flushing slightly, I couldn't help but slightly ogle him from behind. His arse looked great in those jeans. I snapped out of it when he stood up. "Ready, my tour guide of the English countryside?" He asked, offering his arm. I took the basket in one arm, and took his hand instead of his arm and lead him out of the house and briskly off until we were hidden by a few swelling hills. It was an overcast day, slightly chilly. I slowed my pace as we got into the more secluded area. "What else don't I know about you?" He wondered, obviously still thinking about Samuel.

"Ask something if you're curious. I know I have a million questions for you." I said, and he gave my hand a light squeeze, his face settling to a thoughtful expression.

"What was it like to be a Ravenclaw?" He asked, and the question was totally unexpected. I was almost expecting some sappy question like, 'Do you like walks on a beach at sunset?' or some dirty pick up line.

"There was a lot of pressure. Everyone thinks that every Ravenclaw is a genius. We're smart, that's true, but in different ways. Not all of us are book smart. What was it like to be a Gryffindor?" I asked as we took a turn. He frowned slightly, but looked down at me and smiled softly. It sent my heart racing just a tad bit faster.

"It's just as tough, especially because we are supposed to be so brave. Everyone thinks that because I've faced Voldemort so many times, I'd be brave and macho, but it was all just luck." He said, and looked at me strangely. Hoping I didn't have a bogey in my nose or something in my teeth, I stared back, unsure at what he was doing. "You didn't flinch when I said 'Voldemort'." He explained, and I looked away, starting to smile.

"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." I said, and he sighed, letting go of my hand only to drape his arm over my shoulders. We walked in comfortable silence for awhile.

"You know, I always wondered about you. I was only a year behind, but for some reason Ravenclaws always have classes with Hufflepuffs. I never really saw you except for at Quidditch games. And then I was a completely different player than you." He gasped a little and looked at me, obviously thinking hard.

"You were that one Ravenclaw Chaser that Wood would always go on about." He said, aghast, and I shrugged. "You were so good, why didn't you go pro?" Harry asked, and the question, as perfectly innocent as it was, almost stung harder than a blunter question.

"I went pro for about a month with the Holly Harpies before my parents were killed in an automobile collision." I said softly, and Harry stiffened. I watched the path ahead of us carefully, trying not to let the horrible sadness that hadn't left me take over. I wasn't going to cry in front of him on our first real date.

"I'm sorry. We don't have to talk about it. It's just a shame that you couldn't go professional." Harry said, and I had to give him more smarts than I had originally credited him with. He had already put together that somehow, because of their death, I couldn't play.

"Thanks," I said, giving him a tiny smile, but then nudged him lightly in the ribs. "But why didn't you go pro? You were a damn good Seeker." I said, and he laughed. The tension broke instantly then, and I was able to push the sadness and memories away.

"Because I wanted to be a Dark Wizard Catcher, an Auror. But because I was so damn famous, they had to give me a more of a 'private investigator' position so that my fame wouldn't hinder my job. That's why I'm free so often." He explained. I stopped and he did too. We had arrived at my favorite spot, a large almost flat swell of a hill, covered in long sweet grass.

"Well, I guess you're lucky that I don't put up with that crap. Pumpkin Juice?" I offered, flicking my wand to set out a blanket, then plopping down on it, Summoning the juice from the basket. Harry sat down next to me, and we leaned lightly on each other, reminiscing about Hogwarts until there was a lapse in our conversation. I had been itching to run my hands through his hair, and I finally couldn't take it anymore. I flipped onto my stomach next to him on an angle, and started lightly sliding my fingertips through his locks. They were incredibly soft. I didn't stare at his scar, even though I wanted to look at it closely. Instead, I pushed my fingers deeper into his hair, and he sighed contentedly, making no move to stop me. Feeling slightly mischievous, I quickly ruffled his hair energetically so that it stuck up more than usual. Harry started and sat up, looking slightly like a hedgehog, making me laugh. He mock growled and tackled me. A second later, his thoughts caught up to his actions, and he stared down at me in slight surprise, his hands still on either side of me, his face only a few inches away. Then he leaned down and kissed me, slowly at first, but then faster. I was more than happy to kiss him back, gasping slightly when he let more of his body weight press against me, but not too much to be too heavy. He took that opportunity to let his tongue flow into my mouth, and he moaned slightly as our tongues met. He had such a unique taste to him, somewhat spicy. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer yet. I broke the kiss, but only to kiss his neck, trailing them down to the collar of his shirt. Then I kissed the tip of his nose. He blinked at me in slight surprise, his glasses having slipped down to the end of his narrow nose from looking downward for so long.

I gasped again out of surprise when he easily picked me up and settled me down next to him, putting his arms around me. We stared up at the sky for a minute. "Your good at snogging," he said finally, and I buried my face into his side, laughing.

"Thanks. You too." I complimented him back, and he groaned.

"Ok, so that was a terrible thing to say. Total mood killer." Harry admitted, and I wrapped my arms around his chest, using it as a pillow.

"No, I mean it. You are a good kisser, but you're even better at cuddling." I insisted, closing my eyes, listening to the steady thump of his heart, feeling the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

"Mmmm," was his reply, burying his face in my hair. He pulled back abruptly, and then I jumped slightly when a fingertip ran lightly over my new scar. "Oh, Merlin, is this where the Bludger hit you?" Harry asked worriedly. I looked up at him, moving his finger away from it. Then I gently reached up and, just once, ran my finger down the lighting scar on his forehead.

"I have to say, mine is cooler than yours." I joked, and after a moment of shocked silence, he was laughing so hard, I could feel the vibrations through his chest.

"Yours is cooler," he agreed. "Yours can be hidden."

"You found it quick enough. And I was thinking mine was cooler because nobody had to die." I gave him a hug as I said it, and he sighed, skimming his fingers out from underneath my braid and then through it, destroying it.

We stayed like that for Merlin knows how long, until he popped the question, "When did your parents die?" I cringed slightly, but held on to him like a child would their teddy.

"A year or so after the war was over." And then I found myself telling him everything. "I worked _so _hard to keep them safe from Death Eaters, my parents and my brother. If they weren't following me, they were trying to get to them. I kept them safe, and then they died in something so simple as a car crash. I still feel like I let them down somehow. Now my brother and I don't go a day without talking. We're the only family we have." I rambled, then buried my face into his side to get myself to shut up. He tightened his grip protectively.

"I'm sorry, Arlene. I lost my wife a few years ago. I still miss her everyday. You remind me of her sometimes." He shared, and it was my turn to tighten my grip.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered. "If you don't mind me asking, how did she pass?"

"Breast cancer." He replied, and I frowned into him. _Breast cancer? _"I felt so stupid. We survived the war together, had kids together, and then she dies of a Muggle disease."

"Hey," I said softly. "Just remember that she lives on in your children, and that you're not alone." Harry hugged me tight then, and I returned it. After a moment, we broke apart. He stood up, then helped me up too. We had a nice walk back to my house, chatting about anything and everything.

"Ok, I claim the next date. Can I Floo you when I plan it?" He asked, and I nodded. He kissed me goodbye, and then he was gone. Even though he wasn't there, his taste remained in my mouth, his protective embrace still squeezed me, and his laughter still rang in my ears, leaving me so happy I was giddy.


	15. Chapter 15

Arlene POV

I was getting ready for another day of kiddie practice when my Floo burst into flames. I knelt in front of it, still in my bathrobe, when Harry's face appeared. "Nice bathrobe," was the first thing he said. I grinned, tucking it closer to me. "Anyway, um, this isn't about our next date, but I was wondering if you could do me a _huge_ favor."

"Of course," I said, hoping that he wouldn't ask me to do his laundry or something. Although, he probably had a house elf to do that for him.

"Will you Floo James to an address the he'll give you? I unexpectedly have to work today, and he needs to go to his Aunt's house. Plus, I really want you to meet Ron, Hermione, and their daughter, Rose."

"Sure," I said, a tad surprised that I was meeting his best friends already. "I'll take him through my office Floo."

"Thank you," Harry said, looking relieved. "I'll see you at practice," he said almost wistfully, as if he almost wanted to step through the Floo to see me. I waved goodbye to him, and his head disappeared. I got ready then, wondering about Hermione and Ron as I arrived at work. Work itself consisted of the usual banter with Marty, kids not listening, and a few crashes, but nothing serious. Scorpius stared at me the whole time, which was hardcore creepy. Thankfully, when practice ended, he was one of the first kids to leave. James helped me put some of the equipment away (that sweet kid!). Then he handed me a slip of paper with an address on it. I took one look and slipped it into my pocket.

"Come on," I said, "let's get you to your Aunt's house." James chattered excitedly the entire time up to my office about how fun and nice Ron and Hermione were, but I threw out my arm to stop him when I noticed a figure leaning against the door to my office. I took James' hand and strode up to it, feeling my face get hard as I recognized who it was. Draco Malfoy smirked down at me, moving aside so I could unlock the door.

"I'd like a word, Ms. Sommers," he drawled, following me at an uncomfortably close distance.

"Here, James," I said, ignoring Malfoy and grabbing the bag of Floo Powder. He frowned at Malfoy, then me, but took some of the powder. I went to take some, when a cold but frightfully strong hand closed around my wrist.

"I want a word, Ms. Sommers," Malfoy insisted, a threat clear in his voice. I glared back into his steely eyes.

"Go on, James. " I said clearly, and Malfoy smirked down at me.

"But-" James started, but I broke eye contact with Malfoy to look at him with a hard, imploring expression. "Ok," he said softly, almost whispered his Aunt's address, and vanished in the green inferno. As soon as he was gone, I jerked my wrist free, setting the Floo powder bag on the mantel. Malfoy chuckled. I leaned back against the mantel, crossing my arms.

"Can I help you?" I asked frostily, and he chuckled again, starting to pace in front of me.

"I've received a tip that you were snogging Harry Potter." He said almost triumphantly, and my mind immediately flicked to Scorpius. That's why he was staring at me all day. _Damn it._

"Then that person was wrong, Mr. Malfoy. That is highly unprofessional." I said coolly.

"No, I'm confident in my informant. I know that you were kissing Harry Potter. Are you two involved?" He questioned, stepping closer.

"I have not kissed Mr. Potter, and I will certainly never be in a relationship with him, if that is really any of your business." I said coldly. In a blink of an eye, Malfoy was bearing down over me, a hand on either side of the mantel, trapping me, his eyes holding a cold glare that was merciless.

"I can make your life very difficult, Ms. Sommers. Now, either you end this relationship, or I will tell your boss and I will certainly tell the press. Do we understand each other?" His voice was like steel, and I had to fight down the urge to shiver.

"I don't know what you're talking about, now, I'd appreciate it if you _backed off._" I said, raising my voice. I had left the door to my office somewhat open, and Malfoy instantly understood what I was doing. He frowned, displeased, and backed off. I took some Floo Powder, but he caught my wrist again before I could step into the fireplace. I reflexively gasped when his grip tightened, sending pain through my wrist.

"Remember what I've told you, Ms. Sommers. You don't want to hear from me again." His grip tightened until I cried out, and he let go, smirking. In a swish of robes, he spun on his heel and stalked out of my office, closing the door behind him. Wincing, I examined my wrist. An angry red cuff was already around it, and it was bruising fast. Deciding to get out of there as fast as I could, I took another look at the address and Flooed out. One spinning green inferno later, I was stepping out of an elegant fireplace into a cozy but upscale looking living room. I was surprised to see that everyone was in the living room, and a tall, red haired man stood up when I appeared. That had to be Ron.

"Arlene!" James cried, relieved, and hugged my legs. I quickly smoothed my face to hide the slight fear but definite pain as he pulled back. "You're ok?" He asked, and I smiled at him, quaking on the inside.

"Of course," I said, and satisfied, he ran away and the kids followed him out in a near stampede.

"Now, I don't believe that for one second." Ron said with a frown, and his eyes found my wrist. "He didn't," He said angrily under his breath, striding forward and gently lifting it.

"You must be Ron Weasley," I said, and he blinked.

"Oh, right, yeah, I'm Ron, and this is my wife, Hermione." He introduced her, then went back to looking at it. Frowning, he lightly took my wrist the same way Malfoy had, already figuring out what he had done.

"What did he want?" Hermione asked, shooing away her husband to go get some healing salve, and directing me towards a couch. I sank down on it with a frown.

"Nothing, he was just being rude." I lied, and Hermione snorted, obviously not buying it.

"He found out about you and Harry, didn't he?" She asked, and I nodded, frowning deeper. "And he threatened to blackmail the two of you, am I right?" She pressed, and I wondered why she hadn't been in Ravenclaw.

"Yes," I sighed, then quietly thanked Ron as he returned with the jar of balm. Hermione and Ron were extremely nice people, and after a moment of Malfoy bashing, struck up conversation as easy as can be. We actually talked until Harry arrived, and I pulled down my sleeve before accepting his hug. He needed to know about the blackmailing, but not about my stupid wrist. When we got a moment alone, I pulled him away. "Malfoy approached me today and threatened to blackmail us. He knows." I told him, and Harry swore impressively under his breath.

"Damn it, that arrogant toe rag!" He hissed after he was done cursing, then sighed, his tense stance falling away. He enfolded me in a hug. "Did he hurt you?" He whispered in my ear, and I shook my head. "Then screw him. He has no proof, and I'll Floo you over for our next date. Nobody will see you come in my house, and he doesn't know where you live. It'll be alright," Harry comforted me, and I nodded into him, loving the feeling of his strong embrace, the way his slightly muscled chest rose and fell against my cheek. "Are you good?" He asked after kissing the top of my head.

"I'm good," I responded, and he smiled.

"Then come on," he said, taking my hand and leading me back to the living room.


	16. Chapter 16

Harry POV

_I have the perfect idea for our date. Why didn't I think of it sooner?_ I thought as I Flooed Arlene. Seconds later, she stepped through to my living room, as lovely as ever. I greeted her with a kiss, something I hadn't done before, afraid that I was crossing the line. But she saw what I was doing and beat me to the punch, kissing me back. "Hi," she breathed when we pulled apart. I chuckled, and lightly pecked her on the lips.

"Ok, close your eyes." I said, and she raised an eyebrow skeptically before closing her eyes. For a moment I only took her in, before taking her arm. "We're Apparating in three, two one-" I turned on the spot with her, and we arrived at the edge of Hogsmade. I steadied Arlene, and then hastily conjured a scarf.

"Hey!" she complained as I delicately trapped her eyes and tied the scarf firmly. Then I walked around her and sealed it with a kiss. "No fair," she said, and her lower lip fell into a delicious pout that was begging to be kissed. Fighting with myself, I took her arm and led her along over the gravel road, and up into Hogwarts. It was still empty for the summer, but because I was Harry Potter, I managed to pull a few strings. I easily led Arlene through the familiar hallways and out to the stadium. I walked her out to center field, and then Vanished the blindfold. Arlene started, then gasped, then whirled on the spot, her face lighting up. "Are we- what- oh _Merlin!_ We're at Hogwarts!" She breathed, then nearly tackled me with her hug. Then she darted for one of the brooms laid out for us and shot into the sky.

"Hey, wait for me!" I called, shooting up next to her.

"Catch me if you can!" She shouted with a wink, and then she was gone. Grinning, I pelted after her, but then felt my mouth drop open. She reminded me of the Chasers I had seen at the World Cup, minus the Firebolt. With effort, I caught up to her.

"I thought you said you never went pro! You're amazing!" I exclaimed.

"Aww, thanks! Arlene said cheerfully, and kissed me. "And thank you for bringing me back here. How did you do it?"

"Magic, and a bit of persuasion." I replied, then got a great idea. Less then a minute later, Arlene's broom was lying in the grass, and she was sitting behind me, arms wrapped around my waist, head on my shoulder. After taking a long sweet flight, we played a few games, chased the Snitch, and then played the Muggle game Marco Polo on brooms. When we were both freezing and stiff from the cold air, we headed to the locker room. The blast of heat made Arlene sigh, rubbing her arms. "Cold?" I asked her, and she nodded, shivering slightly. Suddenly filled with love, I pulled her close and kissed her, immediately sucking and lightly nibbling on her lower lip. Her hands knotted and ran through my hair, making me groan. I stroked her neck, then brought my hands down her arms. With only a seconds hesitation, I snuck my hands under her shirt, stroking her stomach. She gasped at my cold hands, but then whimpered as they slid up her back.

"Warm me up," She purred in my ear, her teeth nicking my earlobe. My breath shuddered as it came out. With a soft laugh, she jumped, wrapping her legs around my waist. I pushed us up against a set of lockers, kissing her neck, then her chest when she threw her head back, then quickly pulled her shirt over her head. I kissed everything I could see- her shoulders, her collarbone, her chest. I lightly rested my hand on one of her breasts, moving it in a slow circle. She murmured something unintelligible and kissed me with new vigor, her tongue wreaking havoc on my senses. I picked her up, my hands grabbing her arse, and laid her out on one of the benches. She pulled me down by the collar, and we kissed until I had to gasp for air. "Where is your scarf now?" she panted as she rolled off the bench and put me in her place.

"You have something in mind-!" I stuttered as she gave me a hickey on my neck.

"Only if you're willing to try it." She said mysteriously, undoing the buttons on my shirt, pulling it away, running her fingers down my chest.

"Oh, yes," I breathed as she kissed down my chest, stopping at my waistband. She pulled out her wand, and conjured several long but thin silk ropes.

"Ok, hold still. Tell me if your uncomfortable. I've just always wondered about this." She tied my wrists together, and then to the metal beam under the bench. Then she stroked my face, kissing my eyebrows, my scar, my nose. She straddled me, rhythmically pushing her hips down onto mine, making me gasp sharply. I could feel myself getting hard. Her lips captured one of my nipples, and bit it with increasing pressure until I was gasping, my back arched. She had effectively reduced me to mush, and I had usually shied away from anything remotely kinky like this. Surprisingly I loved it.

"You're amazing," I breathed, then groaned as she started on the other nipple, leaving the other one hard. I felt the pressure in my pants increase until I was shuddering.

"Do you want me to stop?" Arlene panted, sounding worried, misinterpreting my shuddering. Her hair was swept over one shoulder, and since she was leaning over, I had a lovely view of her cleavage.

"Merlin, no," I said, going to caress her cheek and remembering too late that I was still tied to the bench. She smiled, seeing my second of straining and confusion.

"Good, because you're mine." She whispered, lightly kissing my eyelids as I closed them. I hadn't realized that it had been so long since I had someone loving me. I felt her fingertip run lightly over my scar, and then she took off my glasses from the very end of my nose where they had fallen. Her lips touched my jaw, my chin, and then my lips. Instead of the rough kisses we had been exchanging, this one was slow and sweet. Halfway through, her fingers found my hands and loosened the cords until they fell off. I sat up slowly, taking her face in my hands, caressing it.

"Are you warm now?" I asked softly as she put her face in the crook of my neck, her arms around me. Her light weight sitting in my lap was comforting.

"More than enough, thank you." She said primly, but it was somewhat muffled. I rubbed her back and her sides, loving the firm curves her body made.

"I have a really personal question to ask you," I said later.

"Mmmm?" Arlene asked, curled up in my lap, obviously warm and somewhat sleepy.

"Are you a virgin?" The question escaped before I could make up another one. Arlene paused.

"No," she said after a moment, looking up at me. Her eyes were lovely.

"Who did you lose it to, if you don't mind me asking." I asked, and she kissed my jaw, and then flushed slightly.

"A young man who was in my life when I got my contract for the Holly Harpies."

"What was his name?" I pressed, and she sat up in my lap.

"You can't be jealous, not yet." She said seriously. "It doesn't matter." She said, and a large flush spread over my face.

"I didn't want to be jealous," I lied, and when Arlene looked unconvinced, I continued. "I was just wondering…if sometime we get a bit more heated than that…I wanted to be ready," I finished awkwardly, shrugging, the blush in my face spreading faster.

"Oh," Arlene said, looking surprised, and then flushed just as darkly. "Um, well, ok." She spluttered, thinking she had something to say and realizing that she didn't.

"Let's get out of here," I suggested. "You look like you're falling asleep." She nodded, getting up, but then bursting into giggles when she still saw that I had a boner. My face flushed so hot, I thought it was going to melt off.

"Here," she choked over a fit of giggles, handing me my shirt, then putting on her own.

"Well, if you weren't so beautiful, it wouldn't be there," I said in my defense, and she laughed harder before standing on her tiptoes to kiss my temple.

"It lets me know that I gave you pleasure, and that you weren't freaked out about those." She said, snatching up her shirt and pointing to the silk ropes coiled on the floor. She Banished them, then pulled on her shirt. She hooked arms with me, and didn't bring up the erection again, and for that, I was grateful. We took a long stroll through Hogwarts, reminiscing, before we walked back to Hogsmade in the fading light. "We should Apparate separately, so that nobody sees you." She said, and I frowned. I was having a rebellious moment. I didn't want to hide this beautiful woman from the world. But then I sighed, nodding. She was right. Arlene gave me a solid kiss goodbye before Disapparating. After a moment of being alone, I Apparated to my house.


	17. Chapter 17

Heads up! This chapter has smut. If that disturbs you, Harry and Arlene have a romantic dinner with wine and some sweet kisses, then they cuddle until they fall asleep.

Arlene POV

All I could think about was Harry. I made myself not look at him during practices and games, to keep our love a secret, and maybe to make Malfoy back off. But it had been so long since the day at Hogwarts, nearly a week or two. Whenever I called Vincent, he asked why I sounded so sad. I finally had to tell him that I was dating someone, but I left out what we had done on our second date, and the fact that Harry was famous. _Harry…_ the way he had gasped and arched when I kissed his chest, the feel of his lips on mine…Merlin, I new that I didn't just miss him, I _needed _him. I felt ridiculously primal, brought down to being ruled by my emotion, especially because I hated the way love had so much control over me. Finally, as I drummed my fingers against my couch, bored, the Floo lit up. "Arlene?" Harry asked, considering the fact that I was out of his view.

I got up, forcing myself not to run, and knelt by the fireplace. "Harry," I greeted him, a large smile breaking over my face at the sight of him. His green eyes flashed when he saw me, but he took a deep, steadying breath, obviously thinking I wasn't missing him as much as I was.

"The kids are on a trip with Hermione and Ron for the day…do you want to come over?" He asked. "You could spend the night too, if you wanted. I mean," he spluttered, embarrassed, "you don't have to, but-"

"Harry," I said, silencing him. "Give me ten minutes, and I'm there." I told him, and he grinned, obviously pleased. He backed out of my fireplace, and then I was running around the house, giving Samuel extra food, digging out my unspeakables and putting them on (just in case), and grabbing essentials. Finally, I Flooed to Harry's house. He was pacing when I first appeared, but then stopped and embraced me.

"I missed you," He confessed into my ear, and I ran my bare foot down the back of his leg, making him start in surprise.

"I missed you too," I confessed back, and he kissed me. I kicked my dropped bag out of the way and we fell onto one of his couches, kissing, stroking. "Harry," I murmured, trying to focus on speaking properly as he lightly fondled my breasts.

"Yeah?" He said, immediately stopping, much to my discontent.

"I want to take things a step further. I've been missing you so much, and-" He cut me off with a moan.

"Thank _Merlin._ I've been dying for this moment." He moaned, and then attacked my neck with kisses.

"Oh—_oh!"_ I gasped when he slid his hands down my shirt and lightly pinched my nipple. I kissed and nibbled and then licked his ear in retaliation, making him crumble into me for a second, before lifting me over his shoulder and carrying me up a flight of stairs. He kicked a door open, and then he flopped me onto a large king sized bed, his mouth catching up and burning against mine. My fingers frantically undid the buttons on his shirt, pulling it off of him. He kicked off his shoes as I hastily took off my shirt.

"_Whoa."_ Harry panted, freezing. His eyes were glued to my deep red lacy bra.

"I thought I'd come prepared, now get down here." I ordered, pulling his neck down and kissing him passionately until he was groaning deep in his throat. His hands splayed over my breasts, and he whimpered into my mouth when he couldn't find the clasp in the back. Deciding to tease him, I slipped away and pushed him down on the bed, taking off his pants and his socks. Then I yanked off my pants and stood on the edge of his bed. His eyes roamed over me, darkened with lust. I walked forward and put a foot on his chest when he tried to get up. Then, I slowly leaned down, and undid the simple clasp in the front. His eyes grew about two sizes before he pulled me down on top of him. I could feel that he was hard already, and felt proud of myself until he slowly started to massage my breasts, but then faster, just a little too hard so that it hurt in a good way. The pride was overtaken by powerful pleasure until I was arching up into his touch, gasping and moaning when his tongue slid lightly down between them.

My hands wandered down to his boxers, and I slipped those down, then gave his arse a good hard _smack._ He leaped in surprise and yelped when I did it again. I drew my hands around, on his hips, then shyly touched his…member. Harry ran his fingers over the red lace of my underwear, closing his eyes when I took a deep breath and took his penis in my hand, slowly sliding on a condom. In one move, he took off my panties and pushed lightly into me, one hand on my hip, the other cupping my breast, caressing my neck, chest, stomach. I pushed into him, a signal that he could go ahead and shag me like he wanted to. Without anymore hesitation, he pushed deeply into me until I was so full I thought I would burst. Then he started to thrust, faster and faster until my hands were digging into his shoulders, both of our heads thrown back. "God, Merlin, Oh, _Arlene," _Harry was murmuring over and over again, then stiffened as he reached his peak. The feeling of him releasing set me off, my strangled shout joining his as we climaxed together. Harry pulled out and spooned into me, both of us panting and sweaty, but full of happiness. "I love you," Harry whispered into my ear, and those words almost made me cry.

"I love you too," I whispered back, turning into him and lightly rubbing his chest, letting my head fall against it. Harry sighed contentedly and let his face fall in my hair. A few minutes later, we were fast asleep in each others embrace.

The next morning, I got back into my lingerie as Harry slipped into his boxers, pulling me out of bed, laughing. He gave me a piggy back ride down the stairs, and he set me on the kitchen island. I stretched out on it when he turned his back to go in the fridge. When he turned around, I heard something fall. Seconds later, Harry was climbing up on top of me, kissing up my legs, up my stomach, inbetween my breasts, around my neck and finally reached my lips. We kissed feverishly, and I wrapped a leg around his, scratching the back of his calf with my toes. Harry dug his hips into mine, kissing my neck. After an awkward exchange on the hard countertop, I got on top, kissing from the top of his boxers to his collar bones. Suddenly, a telephone went off, making me jump, slip, then fall off the kitchen island with some very choice swearwords. Harry sat up fast, and Summoned the phone. We watched each other, me with surprise and him with slight concern as he answered it. I didn't know many wizards with telephones, and it surprised me that Harry would have one. But then again, he _did_ grow up with Muggles. "Hello?" Harry asked, then listened. "Really? Ok, yeah. Sounds good. Right. Thanks." He hung up then, and slid off the counter, extending a hand and helping me up. "Are you ok?" He asked, and I laughed.

"I didn't expect to hear a telephone. I thought I was the only wizard who had one."

"That was Ron, they're running a little behind, but the kids will be back at 8 o' clock or so. Are you sure you didn't hurt yourself? Wait, what's this?" He asked, his voice full of anxiety, lifting my wrist into better light. The bruise I thought I had taken care of from Malfoy had re-darkened when it hit the floor.

"It's nothing. I slammed a door on it at work." I lied, and he believed me, even though the bruise went all the way around. He kissed it, then stroked his five o' clock shadow, starting to grin. "What?" I asked, and he grabbed his wand, conjuring a scarf. At first I thought we'd resume what we were doing before, but he gently blindfolded me.

"Just hold on, I have a surprise for you." He added mysteriously when I snorted with laughter, especially when he picked me up unexpectedly and sat me back on the kitchen island. I heard the crackle of a gas stove turning on, and soon, the smell of eggs and toast hit me, reminding me how hungry I was. A plate was placed on the island, and Harry climbed up. "Ready?"

"Merlin, yes, I'm starving," I said, crossing my legs.

"Here," I felt a fork on the edge of my lip, and I took the bite.

"This is romantic, feeding your girlfriend blind. I can't wait to do it to you next time," I said as I heard him take a bite. He laughed. Harry fed me the plate of eggs, and then took off the blindfold, then sitting on the counter next to me to finish his eggs. I sat in his lap, wrapping my legs around him, and rocked lightly back and forth, enlarging his already quite large erection. I didn't know if it was 'morning wood' or if our kissing session had turned him on. Harry moaned and kissed me all over, but stopped when the clock chimed seven o' clock.

"Damn. They'll be home in an hour." Harry sighed.

"Then lets clean up," I said, pulling him down off the counter and upstairs. We showered together, and I almost considered sneaking his bottle of body wash into my bag so that I could smell him whenever I wanted. We both got dressed, and we got a little heated as I kissed him goodbye. My job was calling me away, as always. Only when the door was opening did he peck me for the last time. I Flooed home, feeling like I was going to burst from happiness.


	18. Chapter 18

Arlene POV

It had been a few days since Harry and I had our little 'sleepover', but I was still glowing from it. I couldn't even let Scorpius bother me when he called me a Mudblood again today at practice. He had left early, so he was out of my hair quickly enough. Harry had Flooed me that morning, letting me know that he was going to Diagon Alley with his family today, so I was home alone. Funny how back when he wasn't in my life, I was perfectly content to sit around and read. But now he was constantly in my thoughts, even in my dreams. _Especially_ my dreams. The surprise that he sent me in the mail (stringy lingerie) didn't exactly help either. But despite missing him, I was happy. I finished cleaning off the field and headed to the locker room. I wasn't surprised to find it empty and messy, as usual. But it _was _a surprise to feel Harry take my hands behind me and tie them with something. "Harry," I greeted him, leaning back into him. A second later, I realized that it wasn't Harry at all. One cold, frightfully strong hand clamped down on my mouth as I went to scream. He cut it off just in time to a whimper that sounded pathetic even to me.

"I told you to end it. Obviously you are too stupid of a Mudblood to understand me." Draco Malfoy purred in my ear. He didn't sound threatening, not yet, but the unmistakable and uncontrolled lust in his voice was enough to scare me. I struggled angrily in his grip for a moment, before he put an arm over my torso, drawing me back to him and trapping me for good. I bit down hard on his hand, and he swore something foul, pulling away only to whirl me around and slap me hard across the face. He pushed me up against the little lockers, his wand across my throat.

"I demand that you release me," I snarled, anger pumping through me. The slap hurt, and I knew that it would bruise, if it wasn't already.

"Listen," he hissed, pressing down with his wand until I gasped. "I've changed my mind. I'm not going to the press, and I'm not going to get you fired." His gaze bored into my eyes, so I started twisting my wrists, trying to break the rope that bound them. They tightened again by magic until I nearly cried out from the pain. "I'm not going to the press because I care about your feelings." He said, and I blinked, stunned. _What? _"I know Potter better than you do, Sommers. He only approached you because you remind him of his filthy dead wife."

"You talk about her like that again and I'll-" He broke off my empty threat with another slap in the same place. I felt my skin break open on one of his rings, and blood streaked slowly down my face as he glared at me.

"Haven't you wondered if he's _using _you, Sommers? Hasn't he mentioned how much you remind him of her? Face it. He doesn't love you, he only sees you as a shag that reminds him of his Weaslette." Draco said coldly, and I stiffened. He had mentioned how I reminded him of Ginny. He said that he saw it in me everyday…"You've noticed it," Draco said, looking smug as he saw the change in my expression. "He's using you so he doesn't have to get over her," he whispered into my ear, his breath as cold as his eyes.

Fed up, trying not to believe him but knowing that I already did, I stomped hard on his foot. He raised a hand and hit me again, his eyes flashing. I glared back at him as his eyes danced dangerously. "I see you need to be taught some manners. I'm open anytime, _Arlene."_ He said, his eyes now traveling to stare at my breasts with a smirk. "You may be a Mudblood, but I can see why Potter likes you. You're sexy as hell, and I want a piece."

"Your married!" I gasped, and he laughed darkly, leaning forward and clamping a hand down on my mouth again.

"Oh, and Arlene," He said, leaning closer yet, putting his free hand on my shoulder and tightening to a vice like grip. "If you don't come to me, I'll come to you. Don't forget it," He threatened by my ear. "And I'm not nice when I'm disrespected." Then he turned me around and slammed me against the lockers, right on the hurt side of my face, making me hiss with pain. His hands were around my wrists, and then he was gone. I was free, bleeding, and full of doubt about Harry. I Apparated to my house, trying not to cry, and Flooed into Harry's house unannounced. By then my hands were balled into fists, my hair was wild, and I wanted an answer. Harry had been lounging on his couch, reading a book, but set it down, but then stood up in shock at my appearance.

"Oh my God, Arlene, what's wrong?" He asked, taking a step forward, but I put out a hand, stopping him.

"You. You're what's wrong," I hissed. "I can't believe I didn't see it before." Harry started to splutter something, but I talked right over him. "On our first date, 'Arlene, you remind me so much of Ginny' and 'you remind me of her everyday'."

"What are you talking about?" Harry demanded, taking another step closer. "Who hit you, Arlene?"

"You're using me. I'm your replacement Ginny, aren't I?" I asked, and he stopped advancing, his face paling.

"Arlene," he croaked, "what happened? Tell me what happened."

"Fine," I growled. "Draco Malfoy cornered me again. Told me all about the stuff I didn't see at Hogwarts. About how fucking similar I am to Ginny Weasley." Harry's face was growing steadily angrier by the second as I spoke through clenched teeth.

"Your wrist, from before. That was him, wasn't it? And he's hit you now hasn't he?" Harry thundered, stepping closer. He lightly brushed the spot, and for a second I froze, my body wanting him until my mind caught up.

"Don't touch me." I tried to snarl, but I could feel my eyes pricking with unshed tears. Harry quickly pulled his hand away as if I'd burned him.

"Arlene, are you trying to tell me that you believe a man who has threatened and hit you? You believe Draco Malfoy over me." He said, full of disbelief.

"Then look me in the eyes," I said, and he instantly complied. "Am I or am I not just here to remind you of Ginny?" His mouthed opened, and I would have first identified it as a look of shock before I saw the glimmer of guilt in his eyes.

"When I first saw you, I thought of her." He admitted, hanging his head. "That's what pushed me to approach you."

"I don't believe it." I whispered, tears spilling over my face. Harry went to brush it away, but I took a step back. "Did you even care about me at all?"

"Arlene-Merlin—of course I do! I love you," Harry spluttered. For a moment, I pictured myself with red-hair and freckles. And then I began to wonder. Is that how Harry saw me? Did he only see my personality as a part from Ginny that didn't die? A shiver went down my spine, the salty tears stinging in the cut on my cheek. "But don't you see? You've helped me move on. I still love Ginny, I always will, but I love you with every fiber of my being."

"You used me," I croaked, fully creeped out now. I hated to admit it, but Draco Malfoy had hit the nail right on the head. And I felt almost guilty for invading in like this when he still loved someone else, it was spooky. "I'm your justification to not move on."

"Damn it, Arlene, I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry! I was lonely, and we had so much in common, you were so familiar, it was like I already knew you." Harry said angrily, his tone softening. I picked up on his anger at his last comment.

"You thought you knew me because I'm like her. Well I'm not, Harry! That's not who I am!"

"Ginny-!" Harry started to yell, but then stopped up short, the anger dying in his eyes. For a moment, we just stood there in silence, tears falling down my face with new vigor. The man I had a 'healthy' relationship with, the man who had given me the best shag of my life didn't love me for who I was. I was like a tool to him. And now he had just called me his dead wife's name and wanted forgiveness. Trying to stifle a sob and failing, I dashed back through the Floo and sealed it. Collapsing on the couch, I tried to control my rising hysteria that was making me cry even harder. I needed to talk to someone, and it couldn't be my brother, scratch that, it couldn't be a _male_ right now.

_Hermione._

She was a woman, a witch, and she was a friend. That was all I needed. Ignoring the Floo that was ringing with calls that I wasn't going to answer, I turned on the spot, heading for Hermione's place. Anywhere was better than here.

**I apologize for my lateness! I suddenly found myself working on three stories at once, and it's been really hectic trying to work on them all and keep the plot lines apart. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!**


	19. Chapter 19

Arlene POV

I landed much harder than intended at the Weasley's place, staggering but falling anyway, despite trying to catch myself on a fence post. Trying to calm down, I nearly sprinted up their front walk, even though me knees felt like jello. I knocked hurriedly on the Weasley's front door, and to my dismay, it was Ron who answered. "_Arlene?_" He gasped in shock, and pulled me inside the house. "Merlin's bloody beard, what happened to you?"

"Is Hermione here?" I croaked, and he shook his head, steering me to a seat and forcing me to sit, even though I attempted to leave knowing that Hermione wasn't home.

"Arlene, who did this to you?" Ron pressed, having to squat to get down on my level. He turned an impressive shade of white then, and he rested a hand on mine. "Was it Harry?" He asked in almost a whisper, looking horrified. I frantically shook my head, furiously wiping tears and a bit of blood away. "_Episkey," _Ron said quietly, and the cut stopped bleeding. "Arlene, I need to know who did this to you." Ron said patiently, still as white as a ghost. "Have you talked to Harry?" Each time he said his name, it was like pushing a knife deeper into my chest.

"Where is Hermione?" I asked shakily, and he frowned at me.

"She's out. Arlene-"

"Where?" I asked, and Ron tightened his grip on my hand. I suppose it was somewhat comforting, but that's not what I needed right now.

"For God's sake, Arlene, tell me who did this, tell me what's wrong. Hermione's at Diagon Alley with Rose, she won't be back for—Arlene, wait!" He called as I darted up, and he caught my arm halfway out the door. I flinched so bad that he instantly let go, starting to apologize, but I was already gone.

Ignoring any stares I got in the Leaky Cauldron, I hastily pushed into Diagon Alley, looking everywhere for Hermione. I finally found her out of pure luck in front of a bookstore. She looked alarmed as I skidded to a stop, hair wild, my face still tear stained. "He called me Ginny, Hermione. _He called me Ginny!" _I whispered fiercely, and her face dropped fast.

"But, he was doing so well with you! I thought he was starting to move on!" Hermione gasped, looking baffled.

"He's been using me, Hermione don't you see it? Everyone I've met through him says that I'm like Ginny. Even he admitted it to me."

"Why are you crying, Arlene?" Rose asked, and it nearly broke my heart. She sounded so confused, so worried.

"Because she's sad honey," Hermione said absentmindedly. She steered us to a secluded coffee shop and got the most private booth possible. "Now, tell me what happened, from the beginning." So I did. I described first what Malfoy had done the first time he cornered me, then I told her about this time. Hermione gasped so loud I had to shush her.

"He didn't! He threatened to come to your house for sex? He hit you!" She raved until I took her hands and squeezed them.

"So then I went and confronted Harry about it, just to put that spark of doubt to rest. And he couldn't accept it or deny it. We started arguing, and then he called me Ginny. Malfoy was right," I broke off fast, trying to force back new tears.

Draco POV

I watched from only a few tables away, my collar popped and a hat low on my head to keep the Mudblood from recognizing me. I was listening intently, flushed with success. It had really been only too easy to break them apart. I had been bluffing when I brought up Weaslette, and lo and behold, I was right. I watched Arlene lean forward to say something to Granger and my eyes zeroed in on how her breasts sank forward. I could easily picture her without her shirt, and it was that little sluts fault for being so damn tempting. "Where do you live, Arlene? I'll come and talk to you more in private," Granger said, and Arlene sighed. Even when she looked terrible she was still sexy. Her eyes were round, and it was so easy to fill them with fear. Her lips were full, as if they were made to suck cock. I pictured mine in her mouth, her eyes with fear, and felt myself getting hard. She was athletic, but was still small enough to easily control. I was extremely fond of her wrists. They were small and easy to grab.

"442 Edison Street, Norwich." She replied, running a hand through her hair. That final bit did it, and I knew that I would have to take her up on the threat I had given her. She was too sexy and too unafraid of me. Plus, she really wasn't Potter's anymore, now was she?

I felt a smile form as I pictured her, bound and gagged, trying to scream for help, and it made me so hard it was ridiculous. I got up silently and walked away, not needing to hear more of their conversation. When Arlene Sommers came home, she would have a surprise waiting for her, one that she would never, ever forget.

Arlene POV

"Have you talked to anyone else?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"I went to your house and ran into Ron," I said softly, frowning. "I'll bet he's worried as hell. I left in a rush. I just can't talk to a guy right now about," I took a deep breath, "Harry. Especially because it involves Ginny, and I don't want to tell that to Ron, her brother."

"I'm sorry about all of this, Arlene. But do you think, if you and Harry talk it out…that you'd take him back?" Hermione asked, sounding almost hopeful to me. I shrugged, filling with new despair.

"I don't know, Hermione, I just don't know. How can I believe him now when he says he loves me?" I asked, burying my face in my hands.

"Arlene," Hermione said sternly enough for me to look up. "You need to go home and take a nice hot bath. Eat something bad, like chocolate or a cookie, and then get a good night's sleep. You'll be able to make clearer decisions once you've rested." She said wisely.

"Thank you," I said gratefully, and I got a deep hug from Hermione, and an innocent one from Rose. Hermione went back to her shopping, and I walked out of Diagon Alley. I got a quick drink at the Leaky Cauldron before Apparating back home.


	20. Chapter 20

Arlene POV

I stopped up short at my doorstep. Samuel wasn't waiting for me like usual. _Odd,_ I thought, going inside. Samuel wasn't in the kitchen either. "Screw it," I muttered under my breath, slamming the door and locking it, then, running a hand wearily through my hair. I went to the living room, going over to the fireplace and erasing all the calls that were still trying to come in. I didn't want to talk to Harry yet. I was determined to follow Hermione's advice to the letter. With a sigh, I started upstairs when muscled arms wrapped around me and closer to a chest, holding me tight. "I told you'd I'd come to you if you didn't come to me," Draco Malfoy said coldly in my ear. I elbowed him hard in the gut, then turned in his slackened grip and decked him across the face. It hurt, bad, but he staggered back, giving me time to run back into the living room, drawing my wand. With a curse, he tackled me with a loud bang, and when my hand hit the ground, my wand soared high, clattered as it hit the ground, and rolled into the kitchen.

"Get off!" I yelled as he dragged me back up, digging out a rag from his pocket that had a too-sweet smell. I went to kick him in the crotch, but he backhanded me so hard across the face, I fell to the floor on my hands and knees. Then his hand with the rag was clamped over my mouth a nose, filling my senses with that sweetness until I thought I would gag. I bucked and kicked uselessly into the air, already starting to fall asleep. I fought him hard for another minute before he pressed down harder on my face, his other arm going around my throat. The world was going dark, spinning and closing fast as my strength faded. Against my will, my muscles relaxed and I sank into a dead faint.

Teddy POV

I heard Harry's voice downstairs, but he was only on the Floo, talking with my Grandmother, wondering if she could keep me next week instead of taking me. His voice sounded hoarser than usual, and it made me wonder. Did he fight with her? Wasting no time, I stole over to my Grandmothers address book and started flipping through it. After a moment, I found Arlene's address. Of course Harry would have let it slip while talking to Grandma. Despite knowing that I shouldn't, I memorized the address and shot upstairs, shutting my bedroom door and going over to the hearth. "422 Edison Drive, Norwich." I said clearly, only letting my head go through. All I wanted was a glimpse of her. I had been so unwilling to be nice to her— there was just something about her I hadn't liked. I was starting to regret that now. Harry was like a Dad to me, and I hadn't even given her a shot.

A cozy living room appeared, and I nearly had to eat ashes in order to stay quiet. Arlene was fighting with a man, hitting the ground hard, her wand flying out of where I could see. The man yanked her up, trying to press a cloth to her face, backhanding her so hard she fell to the floor again. I watched, horrified, transfixed, as he pressed it down hard over her face, her struggles slowly dying until she went limp in his arms. Choking on ashes, I pulled my head back as fast as I could, breathing hard.

Arlene was in trouble.

Arlene POV

I awoke as if from a dream in my cellar. For a moment I blinked, confused, until the memories came back and I tried to sit up. My body and face were screaming with pain, already starting to cramp from tight white cords binding it. "My little Mudblood whore is awake I see," Draco Malfoy drawled, emerging from the gloom.

"Sod off," I snarled, then shouted to the ceiling, "Is anybody there? _Hello?"_ Before I cried out in pain as Malfoy seized my hair and pulled me to my knees.

"There will be none of that." He said coldly. "I said I was going to teach you some manners, and I intend to do just that."

"Go to hell," I managed to gasp before a slap sent me slumping to the floor.

"You will not talk to me like that. If you're going to talk like that, I'll keep you from talking at all," he threatened, pulling me back up by the hair.

"Bite me," I hissed, then stared shouting and screaming obscenities and for help, making as much noise as I could. With a snarl, Malfoy slung me over his shoulder and walked back upstairs, slapping the back of my head when I thrashed angrily on his shoulder. He went upstairs to my bedroom and threw me on the floor. He grabbed my hair with one hand, and unzipped his pants with the other. I put together what he was going to make me do and paled, filling with fear. He laughed darkly, pulling out his penis and forcing it in my mouth.

"Suck it, you bitch," He snarled, wrapping my hair around his fist, then dragging me closer to him, forcing his penis further down my throat until I gagged. He pulled out sharply and slapped me down again, kicking me in the ribs several times until I was gasping for air. "Not so defiant now, are you, Arlene?" He asked mockingly, picking me up and throwing me down on my own bed. He had a strange network of ropes around my chest, forcing my breasts out and up. He seized them in his hands, groping and squeezing. Then he flicked out a knife, making me freeze. He brought it down and cut through my shirt, ripping sections of it away until I was only in my bra. He did the same to my pants, until I was only in my undergarments. Slowly, he cut through the panties, then balled them up and stuffed it in my mouth, binding around it with bits of my shirt until I couldn't have screamed if I wanted to. He backed off, looking at me with sick eyes, before putting the knife away and getting his wand out. He flicked it, and I was bound spread eagle to my bed. "Aren't you going to fight me, Arlene?" He mocked, straddling me. I glared at him with such hate that he frowned, and slapped me across the face again.

Then he stripped his shirt and pants and boxers, advancing on me. He straddled me again, and started to bite every inch of me he could reach, biting down until I screamed, blood flowing. His hands were everywhere then, groping slapping and pinching, holding on so tight I cried out, starting to fight back. "Oh, I love it when you squirm. It only makes me hotter, Arlene," he purred, then ripped my bra right off. His hand ripped off the gag, and then his mouth was hard and unyielding against mine, burning into me as he kissed me roughly, grabbing my chin and forcing my face into his. His tongue forced its way into my mouth, and he kissed me until I was weak from lack of oxygen. Before I even had a chance to breathe, he was punching me mercilessly, laughing when I shrieked or groaned from a punch.

Teddy POV

"Harry?" I shouted, racing down the stairs, hoping to still catch him. Thank _Merlin_ he was still here, trapped by one of Grandma's long stories.

"Teddy, what's the matter?" Harry asked, looking at me with surprise.

"I was only curious, I swear, I found your girlfriends address and Flooed it-" Harry's face was white now, "But there was a man there, and she was fighting him and he-was-hitting-her-and—"

"Teddy, slow down. What are you talking about?" Harry asked urgently.

"Draco Malfoy," I croaked, finally recognizing the man, and Harry's face froze. "He was in her house and he made her faint and she's in trouble you have to help her," I ranted.

"Listen to me, Teddy. I'm going there right now, alright? But you have to tell Ron and Hermione what's happening so they can come and help me. Do it right now!" He said, then vanished from the Floo.

"My word," Grandma said, sounding dazed. I grabbed more Floo Powder, ignoring her, and called the Weasley's.

"Hey, Teddy, what's up?" It was Ron who was in the living room. He had looked troubled a moment before, but had brightened a little when he saw me.

"You have to get to Arlene's house right now, you and Hermione, Draco Malfoy's got her, he hit her and you have to hurry!" I spit out, and Ron stood up instantly, calling for Hermione.

"Come through and take Rose to Harry's house and _stay there,_ alright? Don't Floo Arlene again," He said, and I stepped through, taking Rose from him, then left, Flooing to Harry's house. James, Albus and Lily swarmed me almost instantly, wanting to know what was wrong.


	21. Chapter 21

Arlene POV

I could hear him downstairs in my kitchen, getting something to eat. He had beaten me until I saw stars. He also decided that I would look better with a tight one piece of black lingerie, so he forced me into it. The corset was so tight, my ribs were aching. Taking deep shuddering breaths, I tried to think. It wouldn't be long until Hermione came to call, wondering about me. And then my boss, and even my brother. _This can't last much longer._ I told myself, trying to ignore the pain. "ARLENE?" A voice suddenly bellowed from outside, and I recognized it instantly as Harry's.

"_Harry!" _I screamed back as Malfoy thundered up the stairs. "Harry, help-" My scream cut off sharply as Malfoy seized me around the throat.

"Arlene? _Arlene!" _Harry yelled, sounding panicked. When I didn't respond, I heard him curse. "Malfoy, I know you're in there! Let her go!" He yelled, and Malfoy froze.

"You contacted him, didn't you, Arlene? You bitch!" He bellowed the last part, and backhanded me again, making me cry out, falling hard to the floor. He kicked me hard in the ribs, seized my hair and bowled me over with a punch right to the eye. I felt my heart swell with hope. I hadn't contacted Harry, but somehow he knew what was happening.

"Don't you dare hurt her! I'll kill you!" Harry shouted, sounding furious after I cried out when he kicked me right in the spine.

"Good luck getting around the wards, Potter!" Malfoy shouted, and my heart sank. Oh, God, oh, Merlin, I was going to die here. He put wards around my house, I really was trapped. "I can't let you watch the rest of the show, you'd only ruin it, so I'll have to let you listen, won't I?" He called, going to the window. I struggled fiercely behind his back, desperately trying to get away. Malfoy walked away from the window and gagged me, then hauled me up, dragging me to the window. I fought him hard, but only got a glimpse of Harry before Malfoy threw me back into the room. There was horrified silence from outside as with a smirk, Malfoy vanished the gag. "He has to hear you scream," He purred, kissing me roughly. "_Crucio!" _Malfoy spat with vicious pleasure and without warning. None of the beatings compared to pain like this. It felt like I was being turned inside out, that I was exploding. The bonds only made it worse. I knew I was screaming my lungs out, thrashing like a fish out of water, praying, _Please, let it end!_

"STOP IT!" I heard Harry roar outside, and there was a cracking noise as he tried to break the wards. Draco lifted the curse, leaving me gasping and trembling on the floor.

"Your Mudblood looks awfully sorry for herself, Potter. I suppose the beatings helped." Malfoy went to the window as he goaded Harry, kicking me on the way past making me cry out as he hit my lip.

"FUCK YOU, MALFOY!" Harry snarled, then, "I'm coming, Arlene, hold on!"

"_Crucio!"_ Malfoy yelled with more force, and then the pain was back, wrapping around me, crushing me yet ripping me apart at the same time. My voice was raw from the shrieking, but I couldn't stop, it hurt so bad, please, let it stop. I don't know how long it lasted until he dropped the curse. The whole world was spinning, and I felt disconnected from myself, as if I really was ripped to shreds.

"_Stop hurting her!" _Harry bellowed, his voice cracking from the force of it, sounding terribly angry.

"How's this, Potter? A little payback for me! _Sercumsemptra!" _He shouted, and I cried out only once as my flesh erupted in cuts, blood was pouring everywhere- _"Episkey."_ Malfoy said coldly, and they stopped bleeding. "Don't think I'm done yet, Arlene. I've only just started." He said in my ear, then started to beat me by hand again, throwing things on me, throwing me around the room, punching, kicking, choking- and all the time I could hear the repeated cracking noise as Harry worked on the wards. I tried not to cry out, for Harry's sake, but Malfoy realized what I was doing and only beat me all the harder, until I was crying out, whimpering and sometimes screaming as he abused me without pause or hesitation. Malfoy muttered a spell and the cords vanished. I shakily bolted to my feet, swaying. I didn't even have a chance against him. He instantly tackled me and started punching my face, starting to laugh. It sent shivers up my spine, it was a deep, dark laugh full of power and bitterness. In a lucky move, I head-butted him so hard he fell to the floor with a shout. Wasting no time, I dashed for the door on wobbly legs. _"Crucio!" _Malfoy panted, and I crashed down to the floor, screaming again. My screams started to die as the world grew darker. "She's dying, Potter!" Malfoy called gleefully. Was I really? It was hard to tell.

"I'm not," I croaked, and Malfoy lifted his curse, his face filling with rage. _"I'm not dying!" _I shouted, my voice cracking. "Don't listen to him, I'm not dying!" I called, my voice weakening.

"I guess I really do have to kill you. My father was right, you really can't train a Mudblood." Malfoy spat, shaking with rage. "Take this, bitch. _Suffoco suus!" _He roared, just as the door burst open on its hinges. A rope appeared from nowhere and wrapped tightly around my throat and chest, suffocating me, twisting like a snake. A fight raged between Harry and Draco as I fought the rope as hard as I could on the floor, gasping. "_Avada-" _I heard Draco start, and then bellow in pain. The room filled with grunts and the sick smack of fists hitting flesh for awhile longer. For a moment, a hand joined the pressure on my throat before there was a loud crunch, and the sound of wood splintering. I could hear tiny whimpers and I knew they were from me as I rolled and writhed, trying to free myself. But I was hurt, sore and so tired I was trembling. I wouldn't be able to hold it off much longer, my eyes were closing without my permission…

"_Stupefy!" _I heard Hermione shout, and a body dropped. Then strong hands were trying to rip the rope away.

"It's not coming off!" I heard Harry shout, panicked, as I start to jerk more than writhe. I had no oxygen left, the ropes were cinching tighter than I could bear, I was dying-

"_Laxo Eximo!" _I heard Hermione shout, and the terrible pressure lifted; the hands were free to tear the rope off of me.

"Arlene? _Arlene! _Come on, Arlene, say something!" I heard Harry begging, smoothing my tangled and bloody hair out of my face. I tried, but my chest, lungs and throat were searing with pain.

"Harry, there's no time. She has to get to St. Mungo's," Ron said, the sound faint to my ears.

"Harry," I managed to gasp painfully, trying to force my eyes open.

"Thank Merlin," Harry breathed, and I felt lips on my bruised forehead. "It's ok now, Arlene, you're safe." He choked, sounding like he was crying. Finally, I dragged my eyelids back, feeling a twang of pain from a black eye. Harry's face looked so helpless, his eyes were traveling all over me with such sadness it hurt my heart.

"I'm sorry," I tried to say clearly, and groaned, my eyes closing as my throat erupted into flames. That was a really bad idea…

"Arlene, it's ok, Arlene, it'll be alright," Harry's lips pressed to mine, making my split lip ache. But the feeling turned to an unpleasant stinging and started to fade away all together as I began to loose consciousness. "Arlene?" I heard Harry ask from far away, and then I didn't hear anything at all.


	22. Chapter 22

Arlene POV

I was so groggy. Memories slowly came back, the beatings, the fear, and the pain. The hurried Apparition to St. Mungo's, Harry talking to me constantly. A flurry of activity, the release from the pain when I was given some potions. There was a clock ticking somewhere, and someone was holding one of my hands that was wrapped in bandages. A moment of fluttering lids later, I finally got my eyes open. Harry was sitting next to me, holding my hand and smiling, but it was a sad smile. "Hi, Arlene," He said quietly. His presence re-awoke new memories that made me want to cringe. I had shouted at him for all he was worth.

"I'm sorry," my voice was barely above a whisper, raw from the screaming and strangling. Harry's smile fell.

"No, _I'm_ sorry, Arlene. I didn't tell you the truth. How do you feel?" He added anxiously as I winced, the hand he was holding feeling like it was cramping.

"My hand," I forced out, and Harry's eyes turned fierce.

"You have a few broken bones and fingers. That's the Skele-Gro at work." He said, sounding miserable, and kissed my hand.

"How bad am I?" I breathed, letting my eyes close with that new information. There was a pause.

"Bad." Harry choked, and I opened my eyes. His beautiful eyes were shining with tears. "You'll be here awhile." Curious at his words, I looked downwards. My other arm was done up in a sling, and I could feel bandages around my chest as I breathed. "Your shoulder is sprained. You have several broken or cracked ribs. You have cuts and bruises and your throat is inflamed. Your ankle is twisted, and you have _bites _all over you." His voice wavered out of control, so I didn't say anything.

"Harry?" I asked after a moment.

"Yes?"

"Tell me the truth about Ginny. I never gave you a chance to explain," I wheezed slightly, and he frowned, his eyes swirling back to misery.

"In the beginning, it was about Ginny, not you. I thought that she was the only woman I would ever love. But then I noticed the differences, not the similarities. And that's when I knew that it was about you, not about Ginny. I love you so much. And when I thought that you were going to die, I was so afraid. I wouldn't be losing a girlfriend, I'd be losing a lover." Harry kissed my hand again, and I used the fingers that weren't broken to swipe away tears.

"And what's happened to Malfoy?" I shuddered, and it hurt. Harry's free hand balled into a fist.

"He's in a lower security prison. Even though all the evidence points to him, he's a rich bastard. He'll be out in less than a month."

"Has anyone called my brother?" I rasped, and Harry nodded.

"I called him and said you were hit by a car in London. Those flowers are from him." He pointed to my other side, and in a vase were some lilies. Just looking at them made me burst into tears. Harry propped up the bed, moved me slightly forward, and embraced me gently. "Shhh," he said comfortingly, stroking my hair. "It's alright, you're safe. I'll never let _anything_ happen to you again." He swore, and for what seemed like a half and hour, we rocked slightly as my sobs died away.

"Damn it," I croaked. "That hurt." All the little cuts on my face were stinging from the salt, and my ribs were _aching._ Harry kissed my hand again, and I realized it was like a tick for him because he couldn't physically do anything about my pain. "Thank you." I added, making him look up. "Merlin, thank you, thank you." He smiled at me, and I felt myself smiling back. But then I frowned. The pains were getting worse, and it had spread to my ribs. "How did you find me? How did you know?"

"Teddy," he answered, and I felt my eyebrows raise. "He was feeling bad about being so cool to you, and he was curious. He looked up your address and Flooed you from his Grandmother's house. He saw what was happening and Flooed me." For a moment we only looked at each other.

"He probably saved my life," I said softly, then grimaced. The feeling of having shin-splints everywhere had turned to shooting pains.

"They're here now, the kids, I mean. Do you want to see them?" Harry asked, and I just nodded. I wanted to save my voice for the kids. I was going to be as happy and smiley as possible for them. "I'll be right back," Harry said, looking torn, as if he wanted to stay. He disappeared for only a moment before I head the pitter patter of children's feet. Harry pulled back the curtain and they piled in.

"Hey, guys!" I greeted them enthusiastically, and took Albus' hand (which was closest) and gave it a good squeeze, smiling through the pain. "How's it going?" I saw Harry's look of shock over the kids heads before he covered it up, but not before shooting me a thankful glance.

"We're fine," Albus said, his voice sounding like he was close to tears.

"You have a boo-boo." Lily said with a frown, and I would have laughed if it was funny. If only it was.

"Yeah, I have a few." I said dismissively, ignoring how my throat ached.

"Does it hurt?" James asked anxiously, unknowingly patting my twisted ankle. I had turn to turn a gasp of pain into a laugh as his innocent touch sent pain zinging up my leg. Harry quickly caught his arm before he could do it again.

"A little. But I'm a big girl, just like Lily." I said, and Lily beamed.

"I'm gonna color you some picturessss!" She sounded out happily, and for a horrible second, I thought I was going to cry again.

"Ok, sweetie." I told her, and looked at Teddy. He looked like he was going to be sick. "Hey, guys, can I talk with Teddy a minute?"

"Yeah, Arlene is kind of tired. She's sleepy." Harry stepped in, picking up Lily.

"Come back soon!" I called to the three kids as they walked out with Harry. As soon as they were gone, I closed my eyes for a second.

"You're hurt so bad," Teddy whispered, horrified.

"If it wasn't for you, Teddy, it could have been a lot worse." I reached over and took his hand. "Thank you," I said seriously. His face crumpled for a second before he composed himself.

"Don't lie- does it hurt?" He asked a moment later. I sighed.

"Yes. They gave me Skele-Gro, and that isn't the best feeling in the world. It re-grows your bones." I explained, and he stared at me open mouthed for a second.

"Are you going to stay with Harry?" Was his next question, and I bit my lip (I regretted it later, it hurt.). "Because you should. Not as much for him, but for James, Albus and Lily. I mean," He flushed a little, "Harry isn't my Dad, but him and Ginny were like parents for me. We could all use a Mom too. Not saying that you have to, or that you have to get married or be our mom, but I think it'd be a good idea." He finished, stammering and blushing.

"I'm going to stay with Harry, yes. And even if you don't need it, and even if Harry and I don't stay together, I'll always be around for you to rely on. Got that?" I asked, and he hugged me a little harder than I would have liked, but I returned it. The poor kid, his parents murdered at the battle for Hogwarts when he was a baby, living inbetween families.

"Ok. Feel better. Can I come back?" Teddy asked as footsteps started back down the hall.

"Anytime," I reassured him, my voice almost giving way. Thankfully, the curtain opened again. It was Harry, with Christine close behind.

"Arlene needs to sleep. You need to sleep, honey." She said, coming over and feeling my forehead, frowning.

"We'll be back. I'll also call your brother again, to let him know that you're doing well." Harry said, coming over on the other side and kissing me gently, minding my split and bruised lip.

"Thanks," I sighed, and once he and Teddy vanished, I let my teeth grit from the Skele-Gro pain. "Jesus, what is in this Skele-Gro stuff?" I whispered, feeling relief from my chafed throat.

"It's pretty much acid, in my opinion." Christine said, and I chuckled weakly. "But why didn't you tell me that you were shagging Harry Potter?" She hissed, leaning in closer.

"Uh, because he's the most famous wizard alive and the tabloids would have gone nuts?" I asked, and she sighed, rubbing my shoulder gently.

"Well, you're right, I suppose. Just curious, was he good?"

"Christine!" I gasped, my face flushing, starting to laugh. Merlin, only Christine could make me feel a bit happy in a really shitty situation. If I was a lesbian, she would be my lover, for sure. "But, Merlin, yes, fuck yes," I said under my breath, and Christine giggled, Summoning some potions.

"Well, unfortunately for you, this potion is for a dreamless sleep, so you can't revisit those fantastic shag sessions. This should erase the pain so you can sleep better as well. In the morning, I'll get you some food, and we can talk more serious pain killers. Feel better, Arlene." She said seriously, and I received the bottle.

"I can never thank you enough, Christine." I told her honestly, and drank.

"That's what I'm here for," She said cheerfully as the world blissfully faded away.


	23. Chapter 23

Arlene POV

The next day, I felt much better. The Skele-Gro had done an amazing job, despite how much it hurt; I got my one hand back for good, and my ribs didn't hurt anymore. After eating breakfast with Harry, Christine spent twenty minutes going over the lighter scratches and cuts with her wand until those were healed too. She had held my hand as she went over every bite, and gave me a hug when we were done. "As for the sprained shoulder and ankle…sorry kid, not much I can do there. You'll have to live with that for awhile." She said cheerfully, as if I hadn't nearly cried on her shoulder for a good while. She whisked back the curtain so that Harry could come back in, and he looked relieved to see me standing. "But Arlene," Christine continued seriously. "You need to talk to someone. If you need me, I'm there, but I can also give you some good therapists addresses that won't sell you to the tabloids."

"Sorry?" I said, and Christine swore under her breath, looking at Harry apologetically. He looked tired, rubbing his temples. "They know," I pieced together, the truth dawning on me. "Of course the world knows, why didn't I think of that before?" I muttered under my breath, rubbing my forehead. Yikes. The entire wizarding world knew that I was involved with Harry Potter. How lovely. "But thanks, Christine. I'll talk it out later. For now, I just want to get out of here. I've had quite enough of the hospital."

"Ah, wait, one last health check. If you pass, you can leave, if not, I'll have to keep you awhile longer." Christine intervened with a sigh, drawing her wand and starting a series of spells over me. I waited nervously, Harry's hand in mine. "Well, you need another Blood Replenishing Potion so that you don't become anemic. You'll have to drink that here. Once it starts having an effect on your body you can go. I'll go get that for you," she strode out and I groaned in frustration, leaning my head on Harry's shoulder. He lightly put an arm around me, minding my sling. "Damn it," I muttered. Harry kissed my head and I closed my eyes. My one eye was still blackened, Christine couldn't take care of that either, not without an extended stay, and that's what I wanted least of all.

"It won't be much longer." Harry murmured comfortingly in my ear, then swore rather loudly as something flashed. I snapped up, my eyes opening. Harry was slamming the curtains shut in a reporter's face, the camera flashing madly. "Clear off!" I heard Christine snap in her 'I'll liquefy your kidneys' voice. "Go on, get out of here!" Feet ran away. "Are you two ok in there? They're gone." Her voice came from right in front of the curtain, and Harry opened them again with a sigh.

"We're fine. Thanks," Harry said in a defeated tone of voice, taking the potion bottle Christine held out. Christine nodded and closed the curtains again, giving me a wink. Harry sat back down next to me, uncorking the potion for me. I drank it and for awhile, we sat in silence. "Are you sure you want to go home?" Harry asked, breaking the silence, I looked at him, frowning.

"Why wouldn't I go home, Harry?"

"It's still a mess." Harry said, and I buried my head in his arm, trying not to think about it and failing. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, rubbing lightly over my hurt shoulder.

"I didn't know he was in my house until he attacked me." I whispered, and then cringed. Harry squeezed my hand. "He knocked me out pretty quickly in the living room." Harry made and angry noise in his throat. I looked up at him, and his eyes were already burning with hate. "Are you alright? We don't have to do this."

"Yes we do," Harry said instantly. "I'm sorry, it's just that—well- Malfoy and I have been enemies since we were eleven years old. I want to kill him for what he did to you, what he did to Dumbledore, all of it." Harry scowled, so I stretched up and kissed his cheek. "You don't know how hard it was to hand him over to the authorities unharmed." We sat in silence before he took a deep breath and said, "Continue." It was my turn to take a deep breath then. The story only got more and more violent from there.

"I woke up in the cellar, tied up. The first thing he made me do was give him a blow job." I choked out, and Harry growled in his throat again, holding me tight and squeezing my hand. "Then, he took me upstairs to the second floor. He groped and bit me all over, but he didn't rape me, thank Merlin," I mumbled into his side. "He was downstairs getting something to eat when you showed up. The rest you already know." Harry kissed my head, and I felt wetness in my hair from his tears. I hadn't realized I was crying too until he gently turned my face to wipe them away, being exceedingly gentle as he wiped around my black eye.

"I promise," he started lowly, "That I will protect you from everything- even if we drift apart. I will personally make sure that something like this never, _ever_ happens again." More tears boiled over my face at his kind words, and he embraced me and didn't let go until I started to pull away.

"Thank you, I'll never be able to thank you enough." I whispered sadly. Before Harry could say anything more, Christine came back in.

"Let's get you out of here, yeah?" She said cheerfully, flicking her wand at me and running her tests. "Awesome," she said, sticking her wand back into her robe. "You can go. Do you want me to notify St. Mungo's Security for you, Mr. Potter?"

"That would be great, thanks," Harry said tiredly, helping me up. Christine nodded and vanished. "How fast can you walk? The longer we aren't in private, the more pictures they'll get." He rubbed my arm comfortingly. I took a few steps forward, having to limp when my foot ached as it hit the ground.

"I'll set the pace. Let's just go." I sighed, and he and I set out, his arm still wrapped around me. As soon as we stepped around the curtain, two very tall and burly men walked on either side of us. For awhile, we were fine, but once we got into the lobby it was like a bomb of sound and light went off. Cameras flashed and voices yelled.

"Mr. Potter!"

"Ms. Sommers!"

"Are you two engaged?"

"How badly were you hurt, Ms. Sommers?"

"Anything you'd like to say to the Malfoy family?"

"How did you meet?"

"Are you staying together?"

"You're limping, Ms. Sommers! What happened?"

"Mr. Potter! Are you marrying Ms. Sommers- or should I say- Mrs. Potter?"

"Ms. Sommers?"

"Were you hurt, Mr. Potter?"

"What is the sling for, Ms. Sommers?"

"Step back, please." One of the men next to us spoke out in a booming voice, pushing the crowd away. Harry urged me on until we were out of the hospital, the press surging out behind us.

"I'm Apparating, Arlene," He had to almost shout in my ear, and then we were gone. With a _pop,_ we appeared in front of his house. Harry steadied me.

"Jesus, that was ridiculous." I said, lifting my head. I had kept it down when the first flashes from the cameras began so that I wouldn't be blinded.

"That's popularity for you. Now, I'll take you home if you want, but it is still a mess. I'd prefer it greatly if you stayed with me until you're on your feet." Harry said firmly.

"I'll stay…but I don't have any clothes or-"

"I'll take care of it. Come on," Harry led me up the walk and inside. "The kids are with Teddy's Grandmother." He explained without having to be asked. The house was blissfully quiet. "So, what do you need?" He asked.

"A shower," I admitted after a moment of reflection.

"Say no more," Harry said, but halted at the stairs. "May I?" He turned around, offering his arms, making a tiny smile break on my face. After some maneuvering as to not hit my sling, Harry carried me upstairs, setting me on my feet in the bathroom. "Call me if you need any help." He said, kissing my forehead and shutting the door behind him. For a moment, I just stood there, staring blankly. Then, with a sigh, I started to painfully get undressed. I started with my shoes, socks, pants and underwear, then unwound the wrap from around my foot, wincing when I put it back on the floor. With some difficulty, I got off the sling. Awkwardly, I got my shirt and bra off, and then gladly stepped into the shower, keeping my hurt arm close to me. I used Harry's soap and closed my eyes for a moment, just breathing in the smell. It hurt a little to clean up; I still had lots of lovely bruises, including the shiner on my face. After awhile, I did cry a little, the sound lost in the pounding of the shower, the water hiding the tears. I could still remember every second when Malfoy had his filthy hands on me. And despite Christine's great Healer abilities, I still had light scars from his deeper bites.

When I got out of the shower, Harry had laid out some clothes for me- a bra, an oversized shirt and a pair of his boxers. It was harder getting clothes on than it was off. It hurt a lot more, and I had to bite my lip several times to keep from hissing with pain; I knew that Harry was in the other room listening. Rewrapping my foot, I caught a glance of my face in the steamy mirror. I looked absolutely dreadful. Despite the hot room my face was pale- a sharp contrast to my black eye. A bruise still wrapped around my neck. I touched it and shuddered, remembering. Abruptly, I turned away from the mirror and picked up the sling, going back out to meet Harry. He helped me put it on, then said, "Now what do you want to do?"

"Call my brother."


	24. Chapter 24

Harry POV

I handed Arlene the telephone and she punched in a number by heart, holding the phone to her ear. "Vincent?" She asked, and then had to hold the phone slightly away from her ear, her face twisted with sadness as her brother panicked.

"Are you alright? Arlene, what happened, are you ok? Why can't I come and see you? What's going on?" He demanded, frantic.

"Vincent, I'm fine, honestly. I was hit by a car in London and I was taken to the Wizarding Hospital, that's why you couldn't come and visit. I'm fine, I swear. I'm out of the hospital."

"God, Arlene, what is it with you and getting hurt? I can never come and make sure that you're ok, and that scares me. Can I come and see you now?" He asked, and her face twisted again.

"I'm not at home, Vincent. I'm with Harry Potter until I'm back on my feet."

"You just said you were fine. You're not fine, are you? Jesus, Arlene-"

"My house was broken into," She lied on the spot, biting her lip then wincing, forgetting that it was split. Vincent was silent. "The place is a mess, and until I'm better, I'm going to stay with Harry while it's repaired. And I can't stay with you, you know that. You work all day, and that's when I'd need help. I'm sorry, Vincent. I'll come and see you as soon as I can."

"As long as you feel alright." He said, not buying her lie of being 'fine' whatsoever. She sighed. "Feel better, Arlene."

"I will. Bye, Vincent." She hung up then, handing me the phone, her face full of misery. "I hate lying to him."

"I'm sorry, Arlene." I said, hanging the phone up on it's hook, studying her. She was still pale, and her eyes were slightly puffy, so I knew that she had cried in the shower. "Come here," I said, and led her over to the bed, helping her in. I crawled in on the other side and she immediately cuddled in next to me. She fell asleep after awhile, but I stayed awake for a lot longer, thinking hard. If Draco had killed Arlene, I would have been destroyed as if I had lost Ginny again. My kids would be depressed, and I would never date again. Plus, the tabloids would report on it for six months afterwards, making it harder to move on. The message in my head was only too clear. I couldn't lose Arlene- not now and not ever. Carefully, to make sure not to wake Arlene or bump her sling, I slid out of bed and crept to my dresser, digging through my sock drawer to find the ring case I had hidden there when Ginny died. In her will, she had insisted that I not bury her in her ring. I had taken the ring when she died and stuffed it out of sight- it was unbearable to look at. I opened the case and looked at it for the first time in a long time. The white gold still shone brightly, and the single large diamond glinted in the dim light. I slid back over to Arlene and slowly put it on her finger, and to my surprise, it fit. Satisfied, I took it back off and put it in its box again. Now I only needed to decide where I wanted to propose.

Arlene POV

I woke up when I heard kids downstairs. The impression next to me was still warm, so I knew that Harry had just gotten up. With a sigh and some stiffness, I got out of bed, only to realize that I couldn't get down the stairs, so I got back into bed, sitting up and picking up a _Quidditch Through the Ages_ on Harry's nightstand. Ah, Quidditch. You gotta love it. I spread the pages open with one hand against my knee, stretching out my leg with the sprained ankle so that it could rest. "Come on, guys, let's be quiet. If she's awake you can say hello." Harry's voice drifted up the stairs with tiny little footsteps. The door opened a crack, and I looked up from Harry's book. Albus opened the door all the way and he, James, Rose, a boy I didn't know, Teddy and Harry came in, carrying Lily.

"Hey, guys! What's up?" I asked, trying to sound carefree, setting down the book.

"I maded you a pictureee!" Lily sounded out, squirming down out of her Dad's arms and running over to the bed, having to stand on her tippy toes to see over the edge, a drawing in hand. I took it from her, unfolding it to see what it was. There was a stick figure with a band-aid on their leg, smiling in a bed. It was obviously me at the hospital, and it pulled at my heartstrings.

"It's beautiful!" I praised her, and she giggled.

"Oh, this is Huuuugggooo!" She beamed, pulling the boy I didn't know over. He was around the same age as her and Rose.

"That's Rose's sister. He was away at a camp for, believe it or not, Quidditch. He just got back." Harry explained.

"It's nice to meet you, Hugo. I'm Arlene." I gave him my good hand to shake, and he did, smiling shyly.

"Arlene has a boo-boo." Lily said factually, and it made me smile.

"Hey, why don't you guys go downstairs? I'll help Arlene down, and then we can have dinner." Harry suggested, and Teddy, James and Albus helped herd the little kids out and down the stairs. I swung out of bed, and Harry picked me up, carrying me to his dining room. He neatly sat me on a barstool, and I was in charge of beating up some eggs. Apparently, Harry's kids loved having breakfast for dinner, so the menu was scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon. To my surprise, the kids actually made me feel lighthearted, and for awhile, I forgot what had happened to me. After dinner we moved to the living room and I colored with Lily and Rose while Harry and the boys played Exploding Snap. When Lily fell asleep coloring and everyone else's eyes started to droop, Harry took the kids up, one at a time, minus Teddy, who kept me company while Harry went up and down the stairs. Teddy went up first when Harry finally came back down to get me.

"You know, I think I can walk, it's just a sprain." I said, seeing how tired he looked, standing with aid of the couch. Once at the stairs, I frowned. But with some quick-stepping and patience, I could do it on my own, even with Harry hovering behind me every step of the way.

"Wow," Harry said as he came up next to me on the landing. "Thanks, one less kid to carry."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Whatever you say, Harry. I know that you were dying to carry me.' I teased, and a spark of mischievousness came into his eyes.

"Who says I don't have another chance?" He argued, then in one move, (I give him credit later for being so suave) he swept me up and walked me to his room, plopping me on the bed. "There," he said, looking very pleased with himself.

"Hey, Arlene?" A voice asked before Harry could do anything else. He turned and I saw Teddy in the doorway. "Can I talk to you a minute?" I got up instantly and pushed Harry down where I had been.

"Stay." I told him, and he rolled his eyes at me, sitting up as I slightly limped over to Teddy, who led me to his room. "Ok, what's up, Teddy?" I asked, sitting with him on the edge of his bed when he patted it.

"Did you know my parents?" He dropped a bomb of a question, leaving me scrambling to think. Luckily, Teddy was looking at his knees, not at me.

"I never met your mum, but I had your dad as a professor at Hogwarts. He was great," I launched right in without Teddy having to ask. "He taught us about every dark creature known to wizardkind. He was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher I ever had because he made the topics so _fascinating._ And, I," I explained, "being a Ravenclaw, wanted to learn everything I could get my hands on. Your dad helped a lot with that."

"What did he look like?" Teddy asked. I thought about it, bringing up the memory of the time I first saw him. I pulled out my wand from its convenient resting place in my sling and brought it to my temple. Teddy, seeing what I was doing, immediately found an object, (an empty glass) to put it in.

"That's him from the first time I saw him. Tomorrow, you can use Harry's Pensive to look at it. 'But remember, it does not do well to dote on wishes and dreams and forget to live.'" I told him, quoting Albus Dumbledore in my head.

"Thanks, Arlene. I just want to hear about my parents from as many perspectives as possible. And everyone I know was close to him so it hurts them to talk about it." He explained almost in a rant, and I gave him, literally, a one armed hug.

"Anytime, Teddy. I'll see you tomorrow." I told him, then got up and went back to Harry's room. He was reading the _Quidditch Through the Ages_ when I slipped into the room and sat down on the bed, taking off the wrap on my foot. Harry's hand undid the sling without having to be asked. I set both of those on the nightstand then cuddled into Harry, aching and tired. "Night," I told him, closing my eyes. I heard him set his book down, then turn off the light, shifting closer and gently putting his arm around me.

"Goodnight, Arlene."


	25. Chapter 25

Arlene POV

I woke up with a gasp.

Even though it had been a month and a half since my 'car accident', I still had nightmares. And these weren't normal nightmares. They were ridiculously real, to a point where I had woken up crying. When I had been staying with Harry, he usually woke me up when it was getting bad. I had nobody but Samuel at my house. He had been sticking closer to me ever since Malfoy locked him in a closet (thank Merlin he didn't kill him), but he couldn't wake me up when I was dreaming. I sat up in bed, holding the blankets close. I was forced to redo my whole bedroom from damages, and because of the memories. The room didn't look at all the same as it had, but it still made me anxious.

With a sigh and a curse, (_damn toerag) _I got up. As soon as my feet hit the floor, Samuel came out from underneath my bed with a snort. "I'm going out again. All day." I told him, and he snorted with more attitude, following me into the bathroom. That was true. Harry had invited me back to Hogwarts to fly, and I had obviously accepted, and I planned on taking Tanzania (my Firebolt that had cost a fortune) with me. As I stepped towards the shower, Samuel butted the back of my legs, then looked up at me imploringly. It wasn't often that I let him shower with me, but he had been lonely lately, and he was also kind of smelly. So we showered together, him snorting happily, giving a little _SQUEE_ when I scrubbed him down. When I got out, I couldn't help but frown when I saw myself in the mirror. I still had scars from Draco's bites. My shoulder and ankle had since healed, my black eye gone- but the bites would always remain.

With a sigh, I got dressed, ate breakfast, then Flooed to Harry's house, ruffling James' hair on the way passed him on the couch. "Hey, James," I greeted him. He grunted some sort of response and kept reading a Quidditch book. It was the only kind of book he'd be caught dead with, where as Albus would read everything he could get his hands on. "Hey, Arlene, I'll be down in a minute!" Harry yelled from upstairs.

"Ok!" I yelled back, going into the kitchen and sitting on a barstool next to Ron's mother. Mr. Weasley was sitting next to Lily, helping her, of course, finger paint. "Hi," I greeted them, leaning against the kitchen island, my broom at my side.

"How are you, Arlene?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking up and frowning. "You still look a bit peaky." She insisted, her normal greeting to everyone.

"I'm fine," I assured her, but she still looked at me with an almost worried expression. To save me from another question, Harry dashed downstairs in a whirlwind, putting an arm around my shoulders and kissing my head while I kissed his cheek. "You finally grace us with your presence," I joked, and he lightly smacked my arm.

"Ready? The sooner we get there the sooner we can fly." He said, and I grinned.

"Let's go! It's nice to see you again," I told the Weasley's, and then I was laughing as he pulled me out by the arm and to the Floo. We came out in Neville Longbottom's office, one of Harry's friends. We exchanged hasty greetings: He was absorbed in a plant and Harry was obviously in a hurry, pulling me out of the room. We flat out sprinted for the Quidditch pitch, and I jumped out of the stands and onto my broom, cheating. Harry and I raced aggressively, then sat in midair side by side, holding hands. We didn't talk much about Malfoy anymore, only because whenever we did I would have even more horrid nightmares that night. The scary dreams themselves made Harry extremely angry and worried, so I usually didn't tell him when I had a dream unless he really asked. It wasn't worth his time to get angry when he couldn't do anything about it anyway. Malfoy was already out of jail and pretending like nothing ever happened.

"Hey," Harry said, breaking me out of my thoughts. He was smiling, his face alight with happiness. "Let's go to center field." We gently touched down, and I immediately sprawled out into the soft turf, wondering how it was so soft to the touch, but when you where crashing into it the consistency turned to that of granite. I closed my eyes, letting the sun heat up my eyelids. "Arlene," Harry started, and I cracked an eye open. He was sitting on his heels, watching me with total love written across his face. I sat up. "How's your foot?" He asked, and I rolled my eyes. He had done this more than once, even though it had been a month since it had caused me any pain whatsoever.

"Look, its fine," I assured him, standing up and jumping on it. "Stop worrying, silly," I lightly rebuked him, kissing the top of his head.

"Arlene?" Harry asked again, fishing in his coat pocket. "I love you," he said seriously, pulling a box out of his pocket, making me freeze in shock. He shifted so that he was on one knee. "you pulled me out of depression and helped me move on. You are great with my kids and they love you too. Not to mention that you are a great shag," he added, making me laugh shakily, furiously wiping at tears that were already forming. _Holy crap, holy crap, holy SHIT. Harry Potter, the hot man that I love is proposing, holy Merlin! Yes! Yes! Wizard-God yessss! _"So, I was hoping…will you marry me, Arlene?" He asked, popping open the box, making me gasp. The ring was GORGEOUS. It was a plain white-gold band with one large hexagon shaped diamond set in silver. **(Picture on Profile!)**

"Holy shit," I breathed, letting Harry take my left hand and slipping the ring on. "Absolutely, yes!" Harry stood up fast and took my face in my hands, kissing me. Overwhelmed with love, I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him back, feeling the ring with my other hand behind his neck. We broke apart and I looked down at the ring with large eyes. "Harry, this is beautiful," I said softly, examining (admiring) it from every angle on my hand. It made it feel heavy, but I wanted to run around London shoving it under people's noses and screaming, _"I'm marrying a man I love very much who is hot and caring and rich and famous and he's my best friend!"_ I gave him a quick kiss, looked at the ring again, squeaked and hugged him hard.

"I love you, Arlene." Harry reminded me seriously, and I kissed him again as we pulled apart.

"I love you more," I insisted, taking his hand and pulling him down to the turf. We kissed feverishly, Harry's hands lightly stroking my sides.

"How does it feel to be engaged, _Mrs. Potter?_" Harry breathed in my ear, then going down to kiss my shoulder. My mind went blank for a moment. I was now a step-mother of three yet sometimes four, and I was marrying _Harry Potter, _who was a lot more than everyone would ever know.

"It's the best feeling in the world besides your shag," I whispered in his ear, purposely letting my teeth knick his earlobe. His ears were one of Harry's weaknesses. Sure enough, Harry couldn't help but moan, his grip tightening. For revenge, Harry slid his hands up my shirt and under my bra. The touch of his cold skin on my chest made my back arch into him, which he loved, supporting my lower back with his knee. "Oh," I said abruptly, realizing something _very _important.

"What?" Harry asked, moving his knee when I stood up straight.

"My brother," I said, frowning. "If all of our friends are witches and wizards, how will he and his girlfriend come?" Harry looked at me a moment, his grin fading. "Shit," I groaned, hugging him. For awhile, we stayed like that until Harry broke away, his face lighting up with new excitement.

"We'll get married here, on the Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch. _We_ are rich and famous now, I'll buy out Hogwarts, get some of the charms removed, and we'll bewitch the pitch to make it look like a soccer field to them." Harry said quickly, and when his words sunk in, I felt myself grin to match him.

"Really? We could do that?" I asked, and he laughed, the sound so enchanting, I memorized it. He was just so…_perfect_ for me.

"We can do whatever the hell we want now. We're engaged, Mrs. Potter." He said, and I kissed him. It wasn't rough, like our usual kisses, but slow, sweet, and full of the love I couldn't express.

"Thank you," I whispered in his ear after we were done kissing again. Our feverish kisses had taken us back down to the turf, and I was sprawled out across him, listening to the beating of his heart.

"What for?" Harry mumbled almost sleepily, draping an arm over my back and kissing my neck.

"For everything. For everything you've done for me." I elaborated, and I felt him smile against my neck.

"You've done great things for me too, Arlene. I need you just as much as you need me, maybe even more so." Harry said lowly, and I sat up next to him, and he sat up next to me.

"Ok, who do we break the news to first? And do we want to keep this as private as possible or no?" I asked, and Harry chuckled.

"You're already learning to think like someone famous. That's good. It'll be hard in the beginning, they go after everything you do. But I'd like to keep this a secret for as long as possible."

"How are we going to tell your kids? And the Weasley's?" I asked quietly as we started to walk back, and Harry's face fell for a second.

"My kids won't mind, but I don't know how I can tell the Weasley's without feeling guilty." Harry mumbled, and I kissed the side of his head reassuringly.

"Who do we want to tell first?" I asked, holding out my left hand in front of us, and he smiled at the sight of the sparkling ring on my finger.

"Mrs. Weasley. She's watching the kids today, and she deserves to know." Harry said, and after sharing a smile, we Apparated back to his house.


	26. Chapter 26

Arlene POV

"We're home!" Harry shouted as we walked in the door, and I pulled down the sleeves on my sweater before Mrs. Weasley and the kids came into view. I hugged Lily as she hugged my legs, then picked her up and put her on my hip, kissing the top of Albus' head simultaneously. Now that I was engaged to Harry, his kids literally seemed like _mine._ It was a great feeling knowing that I would be with them everyday.

"How was flying?" James asked, automatically focused on Quidditch. Harry and I shared a secret glance, making us both grin.

"Fantastic!" Harry said, kissing me on the cheek, then scooping Lily out of my arms.

"It was a lot of fun," I added, shedding my jacket and hanging it up on the coat rack, exchanging greetings with Mrs. Weasley. Then Harry popped in a movie for the kids (Muggles aren't entirely useless, kids LOVE movies) to keep them entertained, leaving us and Mrs. Weasley to talk privately in the kitchen. We were sitting around the kitchen island, sipping coffee. I still had the sleeves of my sweatshirt pulled down over my hands, cuing Mrs. Weasley to ask me on numerous occasions if I was cold. Finally, Harry broke the ice.

"So, Mrs. Weasley. I have something really important to tell you. Well, _we _have something important to tell you." Harry amended, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"Merlin, you aren't pregnant, are you Arlene?" Mrs. Weasley asked, and I laughed, especially at the look on Harry's face, shaking my head.

"No, I'm not pregnant. Harry proposed to me this afternoon, and I said yes." I told her, my voice full of giddiness I couldn't control if I wanted to, rolling up my sleeves and showing Mrs. Weasley the ring.

"_Merlin! _I'm so happy for the both of you! The ring is beautiful. Harry, Arlene, I'm so glad that you are getting married. This is wonderful!" Mrs. Weasley raved, her whole face lighting up.

"And Mrs. Weasley, I just wanted you to know that I have big shoes to fill, and I will never be able to fully replace your daughter. This ring really isn't mine, but I'm honored to wear it." I told her, and she smiled sadly, patting my hand.

"Oh, I know, dear. I'm sure Ginny would approve if she was here."

"You're the first to know, Mrs. Weasley, we thought that would be best." Harry said, and she beamed again, so easily pleased with us.

"Then I must go home and tell Arthur. And don't worry, Harry, we'll be sure to keep it a secret until word gets out some other way. Goodbye dears and I'm so happy for you." She kissed us both on the cheeks and gave us hugs, then Apparated away. I kissed Harry before grabbing my coffee and going back to the living room where Lily was watching the movie, Albus was reading, and James was reading too- but only Quidditch books.

"Hey guys," Harry said, coming in after me and drawing their attention away. Lily climbed up into his lap, and I sat down between Albus and James, who both put down their books, obviously annoyed at being interrupted. "How was it with Mrs. Weasley?"

"Fine," Albus and James said simultaneously with equally monotone voices, while Lily launched into the full story of all the great things they did.

"That sounds great," Harry said when Lily finished, and looked at me, cuing me to step in.

"Your father and I did more than just fly today on the pitch." I said, sparking a smile from Harry. He was probably thinking about the kissing.

"Really?" Albus asked, while James started peeking under his closed book again, anxious to get back to Quidditch.

"I asked Arlene a really serious question. I asked her to marry me." Harry said, and both boys looked up in shock while Lily just squealed and hugged Harry.

"Wait, you're going to be my mom?" Albus asked, open mouthed.

"I'll technically be your step mom. I know that I can't fully replace your real mom, but I'm going to try." I said with a smile. Seconds later, Albus threw himself at me, hugging me for all I was worth, and James joined in. Then Lily wiggled up under her brothers and showered my neck with little-girl kisses, squealing happily. When I looked up after kissing all three of their heads, I got a good look at Harry, quickly mopping at his eyes with his sleeve, but grinning. "Ok, come on," I said cheerfully, my heart ready to explode with happiness and joy. Harry's adorable, well behaved children were going to be half mine, I could love them and take care of them like I wanted to, and they'd grow up with a mother. I stood up, picking up Lily. "Let's get you three ready for bed." Albus held my other hand as James walked in front of us backwards, talking to me excitedly about how we'd play Quidditch every day. Lily went to bed easily, too little to really remember her real mother and be emotional about the exchange. I had to rock Albus for awhile, he'd started to cry. James was the hardest- he clearly remembered everything- and I knew that he didn't want to forget his mum over me. When all three were situated, I went back downstairs. Harry was standing at the mantel, holding a picture frame, his shoulders hunched. I silently came up next to him and looked at the picture. It was Harry and Ginny's wedding photo. Ginny was beautiful, her arm around Harry's waist She was beaming, then stood on her tippy-toes to kiss Harry's temple- something I was fond of doing, and it gave me a shock. Harry himself looked extremely handsome, his hair messy even on his wedding day.

In one move, Harry put the photograph back on the mantel and hugged me close. I knew he was taking the transition harder than anyone. Harry had _really _loved Ginny, I knew that deep inside. I rubbed his back, my eyes just making it past his shoulder to look at the photograph. Just because I was like Ginny, didn't mean that I could truly do her justice. But I was bound and determined to love Harry and raise his kids like they were mine, and maybe, just maybe, I could try to fill Ginny's shoes. "Harry," I said quietly, pulling away only to cup his face in my hands, using my thumb to wipe away moisture. "I know you still love her, and if you didn't, I'd be worried. It'll be ok." I stretched up to lightly kiss his lips. "You good?" I asked, and he laughed shakily, breaking a smile.

"I'm good," he said, kissing my forehead.

The next morning was hectic. Harry and I agreed that because the ring was so large, and that we still wanted our privacy, I'd not wear it to work- it'd only get us in hot water. He went to pick up Teddy and tell him and his Grandmother while I got the kids situated with Mrs. Weasley and got James to practice. Reporters were already staked out outside of the entrance to Quidditch for Kids, taking pictures until I got James in the office. "Morning," I said hastily to Taylor, scrawling on my time card and throwing it into the basket, then shepherding James out and down into the stadium to get his stuff. We'd already talked- as soon as we were on the field, I was going to treat him like anyone else- and he should do the same. I knew it was hard for him, but once his friend got there, it wasn't a problem. As usual, I got everything set up; ignoring the Malfoy's as much as possible. Practice for the kids went perfectly, James played his part, and nobody fouled, much to my relief. James pretended to wait for his dad as the kids and parents slowly Apparated away. I finished cleaning the field and the locker room, then to James up the stands. Making a snap second decision, I took him to the Quidditch office, where Marty and Alfonso were in a heated wizard chess battle. "Guys, can I talk to you a minute?" I said loudly before Marty could start swearing as one of Alfonso's knights viciously killed his pawn.

"Sure, what's up? Hey, James," Marty greeted him cheerfully, but still eyed the chessboard. I flicked the door shut with my wand and let all hell break loose.

"Guys, I'm getting married." I said, and dead silence descended.

"¿Con quién?" Alfonso asked in shock, as Marty suddenly whooped with laughter. Alfonso's eyes found James and he put two and two together fairly quickly. "You're marrying Harry Potter?" Alfonso choked, making Marty shut up.

"Yes," I said, putting an arm around James and grinning down at him.

"Congratulations!" Marty said after a second, getting up and giving me a hug, nearly crushing me. "Wow," He said a few times as Alfonso gave me a hug. I knew what he was thinking- Harry Potter- the most eligible bachelor and oh yeah, Savior of the wizarding world. You couldn't do much better than that. I gave him a warning look, then a grin and a wink. He got it instantly and grinned like an idiot.

"Just thought I'd tell you. It'll be awhile yet, but I think it'll be great." I said, beat off a few more goodbyes, then took James to my office and we Flooed to Hermione and Ron's home. As soon as I got there, I slipped the ring discreetly on while Ron and Hermione greeted James, saying Harry would be there any minute.

"Hey, Arlene. Butterbeer? Firewhiskey?" Hermione offered, and I accepted a butterbeer. She went to get it and I chatted easily with Ron about how his favorite team, The Chuddley Cannons were doing.

"Thanks," I said, taking the butterbeer from Hermione when she offered it to me without thinking and she gasped, seeing the ring. I was going to wait until Harry got there…but…

"OHMYGOD." Hermione gasped again, dropping her glass of firewhiskey.

"What's wrong, 'Mione?" Ron asked, concerned, and Hermione seized my left hand and pulled me up. I hastily set down the butterbeer with my right before she shoved my left hand in Ron's face.

"_Arlene, _you're getting _married?"_ Hermione squealed, and hugged me as Ron sat on the couch, dumbfounded. Over Hermione chanting: "Merlin, yes!" the Floo lit up and seconds later, Harry, Mrs. Weasley, Albus, James, Lily and Teddy stepped through.

"I take it you told her?" Harry called over Hermione's hair, laughing and getting a bro-hug from Ron.

"I'm so _happy _for you!" Hermione said breathlessly, finally releasing me and cleaning up the remnants of her firewhisky as I got a hug from Teddy and Mrs. Weasley.

"How did you propose, mate?" Ron asked, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly, even though he was still grinning.

"Center field at the Quidditch pitch. Hogwarts." Harry said, beaming, and put an arm around my waist.

"How romantic," Hermione sighed happily, (even though she hated Quidditch) cuing the kids to start talking to each other, already bored with the mushy gushy parents. "When will it be?" She asked, and Harry and I looked at each other. We hadn't even talked about it.

"Probably after a tabloid finds out, with my luck," Harry said humorlessly.

"Don't be so sure. Maybe once everyone close to us knows, we'll set a date." I added, seeing Mrs. Weasley's face fall. It lit back up again almost instantly, and it made me feel good inside.


	27. Chapter 27

Arlene POV

The next day, the kids stayed with Hermione and Ron as I took Harry nervously out to see my brother. We didn't have much time to get married in secrecy, but I hated to dump this on my brother so quickly, especially because he'd met Harry only once before, and under nasty circumstances. He'd been so worried about me, and he'd instantly been suspicious of Harry. They'd been civil towards each other, but I knew that Vincent would hate the surprise a little. He was so out of the loop when it came to my personal life that this would shock him. And, if I wasn't nervous enough, Harry was more anxious than I was. Since my father was dead, I knew Harry saw Vincent as 'the gatekeeper'. He wanted to ask _someone_ for permission to marry me, and Vincent was the only family I had left. "Stop fidgeting," I said quietly as we walked up Vincent's street. Harry was anxiously twisting the fringe on his scarf in his hand and nearly crushing my hand in a nervous grip. "It'll be fine." I shot him a reassuring smile, even when my insides quaked. As I rang the bell, Harry hastily tried to flatten his hair again, but was unsuccessful, as usual. Moments later, the door opened.

"Hey, Arlene, Harry, come on in," Vince stood back to let us step over the threshold. I kissed him on the cheek, and he shook Harry's hand.

"How've you been?" I asked as he led us into the kitchen. "How's Michelle?"

"We've both been great. Still going strong." Vincent flashed me a smile as we plopped onto the couches in his living room. "And you two?" he asked, and Harry nearly choked he was so nervous.

"Great, actually." I said firmly over his squeak, inconspicuously taking my hands out of my coat pockets. In doing so, I gave Harry a little nudge. He nearly leapt in response and cleared his throat.

"Are you ok, Harry? You don't look so good." Vincent said worriedly.

"I'm fine. Vincent, there's something very important that I need to ask you." Harry started, sitting up straight and taking a deep breath. "I've known Arlene for almost a year now, and I've come to appreciate her for her intelligence, wit and beauty. I'm willing to make a commitment to her that I will cherish, honor and respect forever. I'd be honored if I could receive your blessing to take Arlene's hand in marriage."

Vincent blinked. Then he blinked again, his jaw dropping.

"I'm sorry this is so sudden, Vincent." I said earnestly when he only gaped like a fish.

"What?" Vincent finally asked weakly. "You two are getting married?"

"With your blessing, Vincent." Harry said firmly.

"This feels so fast," He said blearily, looking at us like he'd never seen us before.

"I'm sorry, I know, Vincent, I know. It's so hard for us to stay in touch, and since I have to keep all these secrets, it has been impossible to explain this to you. I'm so sorry." I apologized profusely, leaning forward to take Vincent's hands. He jumped and then twisted out of my grasp to lightly take my left hand, examining the ring on my finger. "You won't lose me because of this, Vincent. If anything, we'll get closer." I reassured him quietly. With those words, he seemed to come alive again.

"My blessing, of course! Of course, yes, I completely approve. Congratulations to you both," He said warmly, leaning past me to shake Harry's hand. We talked for a few hours more and ended up having a quick brunch with him before we left, Vincent and I exchanging hugs and promises to keep in touch even more so than usual.

"Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" I teased as we walked back down the street.

"I was so nervous I was sweating bullets." Harry answered, flashing me a grin. Over the next few days, Hermione and Mrs. Weasley descended on me with ideas, thoughts and plans for the wedding, trying to help me set a date as soon as possible. The quickly got me to Madam Malkins to choose a wedding dress. After lots of debate on what kind of dresses' look best on athletic builds, I finally chose and paid for my own dress. It was a strapless, sheath white dress that was covered in lace detail. A bit of lace fell over for a trim on the bottom. It was simple, fairly inexpensive, but beautiful. **(Picture on profile! ****) **Harry bought out the pitch at Hogwarts, and I never want to know how much it cost. Harry had _lots_ of money, but it didn't make the feeling any better. I let Hermione and Mrs. Weasley choose the style of the venue, and then it came to the guest list. My list was frightfully short, only five people; Marty, Alfonso, Christine, Michelle and Vincent. Samuel didn't really count as a guest, considering he didn't need a chair or food. Harry, however, needed room for all of the Weasley's and Hermione, his children, lots of his old professors' and friends as well as, unfortunately, if push came to shove, a spot for the media.

And, Harry and I had to have some serious discussions. I was quitting my job and selling my house to move in and marry Harry. I was going to be a stay at home mom, something I was scared yet excited to do. I knew Harry's kids already, but I was afraid that becoming their mom would ruin our good relationship. Also, I was afraid of being trapped in monotony. Being a full time mom left no room for Quidditch, except for my Quidditch training. Being in the training kept me open to being drafted into the League, and, more importantly, a team. Both Harry and I agreed that they didn't want the kids to suffer as both of us went out and did whatever we desired, but losing Quidditch would be something I couldn't handle. Harry would be around too, considering he worked very little for the Auror office, but I was afraid of change. We did so well together in our relationship as it was, and I was afraid that we'd fall apart when we were thrown together.

The media wasn't to be forgotten either. They were literally breathing down our necks already, watching our every move. Going anywhere or doing anything was a hassle. I was still getting used to thinking and acting like a celebrity, and once I was truly a celebrity, I didn't think I could handle all of the attention, fake scandal and downright lies. The magazines and newspapers would get hold of just one thing they thought they could make indecent and blow the whole thing out of proportion. I didn't want to live a life where I had to ignore everything they said about me when I wanted to defend myself and tell the world the truth.

Lastly, there was still the issue of Draco Malfoy. The wedding would bring up the whole thing all over again- the last thing I wanted. Both of us had been silent for the whole scandal, and I didn't want any questions about it coming up in relation to my wedding. They were completely different subjects and I didn't want anything as sad as that to stain the happiness of my wedding and my relationship with Harry. Unfortunately, I knew that whenever I was mentioned in the press for the rest of my life, they'd mention Malfoy's attack.

**XXXXXXX**

"Do I have to call you mom?" Albus asked me curiously, watching me direct my wand at a bubbling pot of chicken noodle soup. It'd been about two weeks since Harry had proposed, and, so far, our plans were still a secret. I never wore my ring outside of either my house or Harry's, and we'd actually been spending less time together in public to ease some of the intense scrutiny upon us. The only thing we'd done is moved most of my things to his house and put my house on the market.

"Not if you don't want to." I responded, moving my wand to the cutting board full of freshly baked bread, making it slice itself.

"It seems weird not to though." He said, and snuck a glance at his older brother. So far, James had been silent on if he felt I was replacing Ginny too quickly. He didn't call me mom, mum, or Arlene; he'd started just addressing me without using names. I didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. James kept prodding his miniature broomstick around the edge of the table with a neutral expression, ignoring Albus.

"As long as you aren't disrespectful, I don't care what you call me." I said honestly, then nearly tripped over Samuel (This happened _a lot) _as I moved back over to my pot of soup. "Go on, Sammie. Get!" I ordered, pointing sternly out of the kitchen. Samuel snorted at me in a disbelieving and cool fashion before sauntering out, knowing that I'd apologize later and give him a belly rub. The kitchen lapsed into almost complete silence as Albus went back to his book, James prodded the broomstick, and I hummed quietly. The house was pretty quiet without Lily, who was at the Weasley's place with Rose. Teddy was here, but upstairs in his room. I hadn't heard any explosions yet, so I figured he couldn't be in too much trouble. After awhile, I started to get a little worried. Harry said he'd be home at five thirty for dinner, and it was almost six fifteen when Teddy tromped downstairs, wanting food. "I guess we'll start without him," I muttered, almost to myself, directing plates, silverware and glasses to the table with my wand. Once my little vacuum cleaners were started on devouring my soup, I inched into the living room, towards the floo. It would be one thing if it was just Harry who was late, but he was supposed to pick up Lily. Finally, my inner maternal instincts won out, and I flooed Hermione and Ron.

"Hey, Arlene," Hermione greeted me from her couch after looking up from one of her huge books. The girls were in a corner playing 'school', something I thought was funny.

"He hasn't come _yet?_" I asked worriedly. If Harry was there talking, I'd be a little miffed, but certainly not anxious for his whereabouts.

"Come on, Arlene. You know what the Auror office is like. I'll bet he got caught up in a conversation with Dawlish or something. You know how that man can talk." Hermione said dispassionately, running a finger down the page she was looking at. "Gurdy root," she muttered, and reached over for a quill to jot the word down.

"Do you want me to come and get Lily?" I asked, looking for and seeing no sign of Ron.

"I know you'll worry about her if you don't." she replied. After telling my soon to be sons where I was going, I quickly nipped in to get Lily, then played Gobstones with Teddy while the rest of my kids slowly got more and more tired waiting for their dad. I tried not to glance at the clock every five minutes like I wanted to; the kids picked up on it the second time I did it and watched for it every time after. In the end, I put them all to bed, minus Teddy and James, who refused to sleep, but instead dozed on the couch while I watched the clock.


	28. Chapter 28

**GAH. I'm so, _so _sorry. I would be on my knees right now, begging you to forgive me...if you could see me. Anyway, I'm really, _really_ sorry this took so long- I've had a lot of things on my plate, creating three long weeks of stress and hell. But, now, I'm free! Thanks for waiting all of you, and I'M SORRY!**

**blackorchestrafreak**

Arlene POV

It was almost eleven before the front door opened and Harry appeared, hanging up his cloak with a scowl, which let me knew something bad had happened. Upon turning and seeing me sitting on the couch, James' head in my lap, the scowl melted, and he rubbed his face, silently coming over and conjuring a chair to sit in front of me. "Rough day?" I whispered, continuing to lightly run my fingers through James' black, unruly hair.

"I'm so sorry, I can tell I worried you," Harry whispered back, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes. When I didn't say anything, he took a deep breath and continued. "The media found out about the wedding."

"How?" I asked, my fingers pausing in James' hair for a second before continuing their preening. I wasn't as angry as I thought I'd be, at least, not yet. I hadn't seen any tabloids or heard any bogus news reports yet. I could very easily be painted as a whore as well as 'the damsel in distress.' Neither would sit with me very well. Harry sighed, putting his glasses back on his long, sloping nose and looking at me tiredly.

"You know what those magazines do. They say, 'an inside source' or, 'a close friend'. What the really do is stalk someone until they figure it out." He looked at James with a slightly anxious yet loving expression, and rapidly changed the subject. "Has he warmed up a bit more to you yet?"

"No, and he shouldn't." I replied, curling a lock of James' hair behind his ear as I spoke. "He lost his real mother, and nothing can replace that. He'll work at his own pace." Finally, I looked up at Harry. His expression was unfathomable. "There is soup left on the stove and a few pieces of bread for you." I added after a moment of us just looking at each other. He instantly leapt to his feet and disappeared for a minute before returning with a steaming bowl, a hunk of bread in his hands. "So, how difficult is this wedding thing going to be now that everyone knows?" I asked after Harry had eaten most of the soup with gusto that matched that of his sons. He hesitated, then set down the chunk of bread he was going to eat and looked at me sadly, then Summoned a tabloid from his cloak and handed it to me rolled up. I hesitated too before unrolling the evil thing. The front cover was a 'covert' shot of Harry and I walking down Vincent's street, holding hands. The oblivious nature on our faces hid the fact that we'd both been dead nervous, heading to my brother's place to surprise him with the fact that we were to be married. The headline was in bold red letters, and read; _**Harry Potter and Arlene Sommers—ENGAGED AT LAST. **_It zoomed in our clasped hands. Barely visible around one of Harry's bony knuckles was the glimmer of the diamond ring. The sides of the cover were covered with the mini by-stories inside, including how 'magical' my life must be, how Harry was a shmuck for reusing the ring, and how we were apparently going to be having my wedding in Kent. "At least they don't know about Vincent yet." I said finally, and Harry groaned quietly, plucking the magazine out of my hands and dropping it to the floor.

"I'm sorry, Arlene. Now things are going to be a circus, even after we're married." Harry said, a clear note of irritation in his voice, not directed towards me, but towards the tabloid on the floor.

"Is-is there anything about…" I started, but found that I couldn't finish my question.

"Malfoy?" Harry asked darkly, reading my mind, and I nodded, protectively tightening my grip slightly on the sleeping James. He hung his head, taking another deep breath. I knew how sporadic and wild his temper could be, and it was amazing that he hadn't blown up about it yet. Harry had wanted our wedding to be quiet and peaceful, free from 'scandal' and media. I knew this really disappointed him. "Only little blurbs so far, but it'll only get bigger."

"We'll be ok," I said after a deep breath, lacking the courage to look at Harry. Instead, I focused on James, barely resisting the urge to kiss the top of his head. I didn't want James to wake up during the conversation I was currently having with Harry- he shouldn't have to worry. "If I have to, I just won't go out."

"For a whole week?" Harry asked angrily, and I shushed him, pointing at James. "Arlene, you can't stay in this house for a week. You have to _live._" Harry whispered fiercely. He went back to rubbing his temples when I didn't say anything right away, trying to wrap my head around this new, frustrating problem.

"Would you be open to moving up the date, even eloping? Everything would die down much faster." I suggested finally, and he looked up.

"That's an option. But I don't want you to have to sacrifice your wedding to starve off publicity. This is _your _day, Arlene." Harry added quickly. Shaking my head, I reached over and took his hand.

"This is _our_ day, not mine. I wouldn't give two nifflers if we got married in Durmstrang, as long as we were together, ok?" Harry looked at me, mouth agape, before kissing my hand like a southern gentleman, eyes lighting up.

"I'll talk to Mrs. Weasley, see if we can't move up the date. They'll understand soon enough when they see the newest edition of _Witch Weekly._" Harry stood up and then carefully lifted the sleeping James into his arms, letting me get up. Somehow, I managed to carry Teddy upstairs, and we put out two oldest children to bed before finally retiring.


	29. Chapter 29

Arlene POV

The next day, Harry and I sat down with a glass of wine and a pinch of salt to go over our options. We'd just been at Hermione's place with Ron's mum and dad, and we didn't get a whole lot done. There were too many kids, too much panic. Now, James, Teddy and Albus were out with Hugo and Ron- Lily stayed behind with Rose and Hermione. Without the kids, we had a chance to show just how stressed and confused we were. "So, eloping," Harry brought up tiredly, rubbing his nose. "I think that is definitely still an option. It could make all of this," he gestured at the air, "shit go away."

"True," I said, taking a sip of the wine then running my finger along the lip of the glass. "But we shouldn't have to hide. _I _don't want to elope unless we absolutely have too."

"I don't either," Harry agreed, taking a deeper sip of wine than me to control his temper. He'd been remarkably good about things so far- but I knew he would need to blow off steam somehow. I'd tried to get him to go with Ron and the boys out flying, but he refused, saying that we had to sort this out as soon as possible. "But what are we going to do then? Move up the date?"

"No," I said suddenly, getting a great idea. I set down my glass and sat up in excitement. "We'll just tell the press everything. They'll be no more wild guesses and stories. We'll just be kill-joys and lay out all the facts. They can analyze it all they want, but it'll stop the lies." Harry blinked, then downed his glass.

"That is bloody brilliant." He said, his voice slightly lower from the wine. Continuing with my moment of genius, I inched closer, starting to grin.

"And we could be _really_ mean and only allow ten reporters in to the wedding. We'd interview them personally. It'd keep all of the hullabaloo out of Hogwarts!" Harry leaned forward and kissed me. When he pulled away, his eyes were dancing with delight.

"It's evil, but it's perfect. We'll only let in really nice reporters- the trashy ones will just have to get their own coverage off of them." He said, and then directed the wine back to the kitchen.

"Honey, I think we just outplayed the media." I said, and he slapped me a high-five. As we did so, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," I told Harry, and he just grinned, ducking into the kitchen. I undid the lock on the door with a flick of my wand, then pulled the door open, and pulled up short, my good mood dying in my throat. _Robert Hacker _was standing on my doorstep, the man I'd lost my virginity to.

"Hey, Arlene? Can we talk?" He asked easily, and I just looked at him in shock. I hadn't seen him in a_ long _time.

"Who is it?" Harry called curiously, snapping me out of it.

"Um, hi!" I said, and then quickly looked around, feeling my stomach drop. He'd probably already been seen by the media. Great. "Come on in, please!" I quickly ushered him inside, mentally smacking myself. "Um, Harry? We have a visitor!" I called, and he heard the slight tone of hysteria in my voice and came instantly out of the kitchen, flashing a grin but looking confused. "This is Robert Hacker. Robert, this is Harry," I introduced the two men, and they shook hands, sizing each other up.

"A pleasure," Harry said, then looked at me. "Is he a friend of yours?" Before I could answer, Robert jumped in.

"_Friend? _No, no, Arlene and I go way back." He said easily, sticking his hands in his pockets and smiling sheepishly. I suddenly remembered how I'd loved his easy going nature, his always calm and happy demeanor, all of it.

"Robert was my boyfriend when I got the contract with the Holly Harpies." I said, wincing on the inside, remembering how I'd told Harry that I'd lost my virginity to him but didn't tell him his name. I saw just the tiniest of changes in Harry's expression as he got it.

"I just thought I'd stop by and offer my congratulations personally. I tried your house, but it says it's been sold?" He asked me, and I winced internally again. If he'd been at my house _and _to Harry's the media would leap on it. Harry actually _did _wince, but Robert was looking at me, and didn't notice.

"I did sell it, yeah. I didn't really need it now that I'm marrying Harry." I said calmly, feeling a bit of nostalgia before it passed. Harry would never know this, but I actually lost my virginity on the roof of that house with Robert- we'd been playing Quidditch over my property and one thing led to another… Robert grinned, remembering too, but he passed it off as happiness for me.

"Congrats!" He said, and I knew it threw Harry for a loop that he sounded so honest and wholeheartedly happy for us. That's just the kind of person Robert was. "You're a very lucky man." He said to Harry, who blinked for a second, then smiled back.

"I can't believe I have her, to be honest." Harry replied.

"I thought that too, and we were only dating. Arlene really is an amazing person." He flashed me a grin, and I felt myself blush.

"Thanks, Rob," I said, unintentionally calling him by his old nickname without realizing it. I had instantly slipped back into a different time period of my life- when my parents had still been alive, I'd been on my way to professional Quidditch, and I'd actually been a bit rich. Everything had been beautiful.

"Well, I won't intrude any longer. I just thought I'd stop by and say 'Hey!', cause I won't see you at your wedding. I understand that it's going to be a madhouse." He said, and I felt a pang of embarrassment. I hadn't invited him to avoid a whole ex-boyfriend fiasco, and I saw now that that was probably a mistake.

"Thanks for stopping by, Rob, it means a lot," I said, and gave him a hug. While I was hugging him, I caught Harry's eye and jerked my head the tiniest bit towards the door. If Harry showed him out, it might seem less like I was cheating on him (that's what the tabloids would say) and more like _both of us _were meeting an old friend. Harry got it instantly, and we both showed him out, smiling, waving, and calling thanks. When he Disapparated, Harry carefully closed the door and rested against it, looking at me curiously.

"You lost it to _that guy _and you _left him?_" Harry said, sounding scandalized.

"What?" I asked indignantly and with slight confusion.

"He's such a good person! What happened?" Harry asked, and I felt my face fall into misery.

"My parents died. I couldn't spend enough time with him to make it work, so we split mutually." I sighed, ready for the string of questions to come. Harry took my arm and walked us to the living room couch before pounding me with questions.

"What house was he in?"

"Slytherin," I said sarcastically, and he rolled his eyes. "Rob was a Hufflepuff. _Don't laugh._" I added instantly when Harry's eyes started to crinkle up like they always did when he was laughing. "There is nothing wrong with Hufflepuff." I said sternly, and he nodded meekly to the carpet, still fighting down a smile.

"How long were you together?" He asked the floor.

"Almost two years," I said, and his smile died. I answered his next question before he even asked it, sensing what he was feeling. "He probably would have been the one."

"I'm sorry, Arlene." Harry said, and I looked at him curiously.

"What are _you _apologizing for? You didn't kill my parents. You don't even have a driver's license." That comment cracked a smile out of him, and he grinned at me, but his eyes were still kind of sad.

"I'm just so glad I have you," he said, and I hugged him, filling with happiness as he hugged me back. I felt _right _in his arms, not just satisfied like I had been with Robert.

"Me too," I told him, and for awhile, we just stayed like that, embracing, until I groaned.

"What?" Harry asked, peeking down at me after kissing the top of my head.

"The media is going to go nuts. They saw him at my house and ours." I said, and Harry stiffened a little.

"It's ok," He said, and I snorted into his chest, pulling away to look at him.

"No it's not. They're going to paint me as a whore." I said, my tone getting clipped. Harry looked at me a second, then his whole face lit up.

"Let's prepare our statement to the world then, shall we?" He asked rhetorically, summoning a piece of parchment, quill, and ink pot.

"Let me write," I said, snatching the quill. "Your handwriting is messy." 

"Is not," Harry said, affronted, then chuckled under his breath, saying, almost to himself, "Yeah, it is."

"Ok," I said, suddenly business-like, dipping the quill into the ink and pausing. "Title?"

"Official Statement of Mr. and Mrs. Potter," Harry dictated, having done this before, and I copied it down, taking my time to make my cursive neat, and it looked pretty good when I was done. "Right," Harry said, thinking hard. "The wedding is to take place seven days from now in the Quidditch Stadium at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy." He paused so that I could write it down, and I took my time, making sure that everything was spelled correctly. "Mr. Potter felt that the best way to remember the late Mrs. Potter was to reuse her ring; she refused to put to rest with the ring on her finger. It is only fitting that her memory be carried on by the soon to be Mrs. Potter." Harry said, and I wrote it down. "In order to preserve the integrity of the wedding, the Potters will hand-select only _ten _reporters to be present at the wedding. The rest must remain outside of the grounds of Hogwarts." Harry finished, and I added a little swirly underline thingy at the bottom of the page to make it look official, then placed several charms on it to make it look nice and to keep the page from being edited by tabloids.

"Cool," I said, raking an eye over it, then looking at Harry. "But how do we get it out to the public?"

"You'll see," Harry said, taking my hand and leading me down the property to our mini Owlery. Once there, he called down a very regal and uptight looking eagle. Harry conjured a green silk ribbon and tied our rolled up statement closed with it, then gave it to the eagle. "To the offices of _The Daily Prophet._" He directed, and the bird took off, flying away at great speed. "There," Harry said simply, and I watched the bird fly away until it was only a blot against the sky.


	30. Chapter 30

Arlene POV

"Why do you think your coverage of our wedding would be better than anyone else's?" I asked for the umpteenth time that day. Harry and I had taken the world by storm with our press release, our explanation of _everything, _and our rule about only letting in ten reporters. When we set a date to have reporters come to be interviewed, we had to set aside a whole week instead. Every magical reporter on the _planet_, it seemed, wanted to be at our wedding. Harry joked that I should be flattered, but I wasn't.

"_Gobstone Weekly _wants a wider target audience. Can you IMAGINE how many people would learn about Gobstones if we could attend your wedding?" A very wiry man with huge glasses blabbed excitedly, clutching his notepad to his chest. Gobstones rattled in his pockets as he rocked back and forth excitedly.

"What details would you look for in our wedding to put in your magazine?" Harry asked with a surprisingly straight face. He was having way too much fun at this- I'd seen him sniggering when we interviewed the strange woman from _Newt-__**tastical!**_

"Oh, just the wedding overall. Why focus on one part?" The man said cheerfully. Suddenly, I instantly liked him. He wasn't trying to lick our shoes; he wasn't trying to act interested to a point of worship, either. He simply wanted to cover our wedding.

"Well, we'll get back to you if you are selected. Thank you for your time." I said, and shook his hand. Harry saw him out, and I flopped back on the couch, stretching out with a sigh. I had lost track of how many reporters we'd done today, but I'd hated pretty much all of them. "He's on my list," I told Harry as he plopped down beside me, lifting my legs and putting them in his lap so that I could stretch out fully.

"Seriously?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Of course! I liked him better than the _Daily Prophet_ anyway." I grumbled, and Harry started laughing.

"They are assuming that we'll pick them because they are such a popular name. What if we didn't let them in?" He asked, and I sat up with a wicked smile growing on my face.

"Can you imagine how angry they'd be?" I asked, and Harry snorted with laughter. "Who do we have so far again?" I asked, squeezing my eyes shut. My mind was fried.

"_The Quibbler, Gobstone Weekly, The International Quidditch League, _and _Belfry." _Harry rattled off, and I couldn't help but grin. No one took _The Quibbler _seriously, TIQL would only rant about how we were getting married on a pitch, no one expected us to let in a _Gobstone _magazine, and _Belfry _was a magazine for vampires.

"So much for normal, huh?" I asked, and Harry grinned, leaning down and swiftly kissing my temple, nearly knocking off his glasses in the process. My hand shot out and grabbed his collar before he could escape, bringing him back down for a _real _kiss. It was slow and sweet, Harry letting just enough of his weight press down on me. We canceled all of our other appointments that day and shagged right there on that couch, too carried away with our own genius to care about anything the media was saying about us. In the end, we never let in the Daily Prophet. We even let in the lady from _Newt-__**tastical! **_in, as long as she promised not to bring in any newts. As soon as we had the media out of the way, our lives became hectic. I gladly quit my job, my only loss there being Marty and Alfonso. My 'stay at home mum' role quickly took hold then, and I was shepherding the kids from here to there, always doing my best to stay out of the media's sights as long as possible. I stopped caring about the headlines and what the world thought of me- they didn't matter anyway. It was my family and friends whose opinions really mattered.

Harry and I sat down over wine again to plan our honeymoon, which turned out to be harder than we'd thought. Mrs. Weasley would probably want to keep our kids indefinitely, and since Harry was, well, himself, he could get unlimited time off at work, but we didn't want to be gone for a long time. Most of the destinations in the travel book ranged from Africa to Iceland, but none of them really fit…us. Finally, after heated debate, flipping a coin and spilling of wine, we agreed on a place, and not a moment to soon. Our wedding, which had seemed far away before, reared it's semi-hideous head and dawned on us before we knew it. The day before, I got to stay with Hermione and Luna in the Common Room to Ravenclaw tower, just laughing, eating Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and joking around. Firewhisky was abundant. Harry was spirited away by Ron to another part of the castle for some fun, and I didn't question it. I already knew full well that _Headmistress _McGonagall would never allow strippers into the castle, and even if she did, it's not like Harry would love me any less if he had a bit of fun.

The next morning, I woke up very early, even before my two person entourage to look out of the Astronomy Tower at the grounds of Hogwarts. The place was emotional, more so for Harry than for me, but still emotional. I'd been at the battle, but only because Oliver Wood, who I'd seen rushing out of the International Quidditch League's building, had grabbed me, telling me that something urgent was going on and that he needed my help. I'd been leaving early, anxious to check on my parents and brother, but agreed. I'd never been spectacular at dueling, but I'd learned to protect myself when the Death Eaters rose again. I'd seen just snippets of Voldemort through the massive crowds that had packed the Great Hall to see his duel between him and Harry. It was a face I'd never forget. I'd been happy here at Hogwarts, an Acceptable student all through my years, a fantastic Quidditch player, and a semi-popular girl. That dream had ended so abruptly when Voldemort rose back to power that I'd forgotten all about those golden days. "Arlene, there you are!" Hermione said, sounding scandalized when I ducked back into Ravenclaw Tower. "You were driving us _insane _with worry- it's our job to get you ready, and when we got up, you were gone!" She panted a little after her rant, and Luna, who'd been 'insane' with worry turned dreamily away from the window and grinned, rolling her eyes.

"Hermione, did you honestly think that I was going to bail out?" I teased, and Hermione gasped.

"Don't joke about things like that! Now, come here, sit down, we have work to do." She ordered, and I obliged. Then, while Luna mostly watched, uninterested, Hermione did about an hour and a half of continuous spell work, doing my hair, my makeup, my nails, etc, until I felt like the Muggle toy 'Barbie'.

"I don't look like a Weird Sister, do I?" I asked Luna, and she laughed openly while Hermione scowled, thrusting a mirror at me. To my surprise, Hermione had gone simple with my hair and makeup, opting for a simple sleek bun with a flowery pin holding it all together, along with some magic, and light teal tones on my eyelids. "Hermione," I said very seriously, lowering the mirror, "I look amazing. You are the most gifted witch in the universe." Hermione blushed so hot, her whole face turned red, but she looked pleased. Then, she and Luna got ready for the next hour while I made small talk with a house elf that brought us breakfast and ate. When Luna and Hermione were ready, I got into my high heels and 'wedding lingerie' before slipping on the dress.

"Are you ready?" Hermione asked another hour later full of a mad hunt for the veil, which mysteriously walked itself across the room and under a chair, and adjusting the dress to satiate a nit-picky Hermione.

"Bouquet." I reminded, and Luna thrust the bunch of white roses at me, which I caught.

"Oh, Merlin," Hermione squeaked, and quickly dabbed at her eyes. I knew that this was going to be a bit emotional for her; she'd helped Ginny get ready for her wedding, and now she was gone.

"You better save those for the ceremony, Hermione. Humans can only produce a tablespoon of human tears every half an hour." Luna said factually, however, saving me from having to say anything.

"Let's do this," I said, mostly to encourage Hermione, and made the very long trek down from the tower and through the school to the left side of the field. Harry and I would be leaving from the right, but, for the moment, he _should have been _already on the field.

"Oooh, there are lots of people," Luna noted, standing on her tippy-toes to see around the white curtain hanging over the entrance to the stadium. "There's James, with the rings, Hagrid is already bawling, that's so cute-"

"Oh, Merlin," Hermione moaned again, diving for her own handkerchief.

"Hermione," I said, using a hand to grab her shoulder. "You are a witch, a strong, powerful witch." I said clearly, and she sniffed but drew herself up to her full height, flashing a quick smile, having pulled herself together. That's what I loved the most about Hermione- she could always pull it together in thirty seconds or less, as long as it didn't involve a romantic relationship she'd been in (or recently out of).

"Are we ready to begin? The reporters are in place, they all have cameras without flash, the groom is ready, the best man is slightly drunk but otherwise stable, your brother is coming shortly, Arlene, and all the guests are in their seats." Percy, Ron's brother, had insisted on running the actual day of the wedding, and he'd done a fantastic job. His bossy, to the point personality was exactly the kick in the pants my wedding had needed.

"Thanks so much, Percy," I said, and he just smiled with a tinge of sadness, before motioning over my brother, who was all dressed in his tux, a huge smile on his face. I felt a twinge of guilt- he'd have to see me getting married on a _soccer _field, and not the fantastic Quidditch Stadium we were actually in.

"Mum and Dad would be so proud," he said to me as Hermione and Luna started down the aisle, my bridesmaids. As soon as he said that, I thought I was going to bawl my eyes out. Instead, I just gripped his arm tighter and took a shaky breath.

"I know," I said quietly, and Vince gently lead me around the curtain and onto the field. It looked _great. _We were walking on a white rug, up to a white podium, decorated with white roses. Harry looked surprisingly nervous for his second marriage but devilishly handsome, his messy hair still not tamed. There was a mad volley of clicking from the media section, but no flashes. The large audience on each side of me was all standing, watching me pass by with a fondness, even though I'd never been personally attached to most of them. "I love you," I told Vince quietly when we reached the top of the aisle, and he kissed me on the cheek before handing me off to Harry and taking his seat by Michelle, who he was still dating. Harry's warm, slightly bony hand gripped mine and stayed tight throughout the whole ceremony, and I knew that he was fighting away his last demons of guilt for 'abandoning Ginny'. I just squeezed his hand back, feeling like I was 'stealing Ginny's husband'. We'd both tried to talk each other out of the ridicules we felt about marrying each other, but we hadn't succeeded before the wedding.

"Do you, Harry James Potter, take Arlene Lucy Sommers to be your wife?" The minister asked.

"I do," Harry said firmly, giving my hand a quicker, tighter squeeze, shooting a loving glance my way. As I looked at his face, things suddenly felt _right_, as if I'd fallen right into a place I belonged.

"And do you, Arlene Lucy Sommers, take Harry James Potter to be your husband?" The minister asked.

"I do," I said, and it came out much softer than I thought it would have. My eyes never left Harry's.

"Then I declare you bonded for life." The minister proclaimed, and shot silver stars above us in the air. Harry peeled back my veil as the crowd started to applaud and kissed me. We'd kissed each other a lot before, but for some reason, this kiss made me forget every other kiss I'd received before. It was so perfect, so _right¸_ that I knew I'd remember it forever. Harry pulled away, grinning down at me, and I felt my face smile until I thought I'd _burst _with happiness. I was married. _I was married!_

"Come on, love," Harry encouraged, took my arm, and walked us to the right, towards the party tent for reception, dinner, and happy hour. The night blurred by; Michelle and Vince left fairly early, wishing me all the happiness in the world. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gave a toast to me that left me weepy for five minutes afterward. I must have danced with every guy there, Hagrid, Ron, Mr. Weasley, Aberforth, Slughorn, Neville, Vince, Rob, and, finally, Harry. I talked with Flitwick for a long time, who was old, but still teaching Charms at Hogwarts. He'd been my favorite teacher, and Charms had been my favorite class when I wasn't training for Quidditch. The night dragged on until Harry and I decided to leave. With a very large and slightly drunk goodbye, our crowd of guests cheered us away as we walked down onto the grounds to Apparate. As soon as we were clear, we were gone. Without further ado, we Apparated to outside of the International Quidditch Stadium, where the World Cup was held every year. I immediately hitched up my long skirt and _ran._ Harry growled playfully and chased after me as we ran inside the stadium, darted through all the empty security and made our way onto the field. Waiting for us were our two broomsticks. Used to sitting side saddle on a broom, I was shooting into the air as Harry was mounting his broom. We raced all along the stadium, just like the day he'd proposed to me. Then, Harry tackled me off my broom about a foot from the ground, and we landed on the springy turf in a heap.

"Ah, Quidditch," Harry sighed, looking up at the stars sometime later. We were both pretty much naked, lying on center field and staring straight up at the moon. I stretched, marveling at how soft the turf actually was on your skin.

"Gotta love it," I agreed, leaned over, and kissed him.

**Many apologies, again and again, for losing momentum on this story; I didn't mean it, I swear. I've been trying so hard not to do that, but it gets me every time. A huge thanks to everyone who reviewed- you know who you are. It's people like you who motivate me to write, and I owe you more than I can give you. Stay tuned, I have more Harry Potter stories up my sleeves….**

**blackorchestrafreak**

**Ω**


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